


Arc of Eternity

by TylerNator



Series: Tyler Nochi [3]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's, Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Friendship Cup, Alternate Universe - Post-Ark Cradle, Alternate Universe - Synchro Dimension, Angst, Comedy, Crossover, Dark Comedy, Drama, English Dub Names, Existentialism, F/M, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Inappropriate Behavior, Inappropriate Humor, Infant Death, Infanticide, Major Character Undeath, Major Original Character(s), Multiple Crossovers, Multiverse, Original Character(s), Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, POV First Person, POV Original Character, Past Child Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, Post-Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions, Romance, Stuttering, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Notes, TCG Card Names / Terminology, yliaster
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-13 07:54:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 17
Words: 167,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29398677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TylerNator/pseuds/TylerNator
Summary: After recovering his memories at the hands of Zone and Infinity, Tyler Nochi resolves to throw his life away, and succeeds. But a chance encounter with a mysterious redheaded man will take him far beyond the world he thought he knew, force him to confront the darkness in his heart, and help him realize that not everyone gets a second chance.
Series: Tyler Nochi [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2159325





	1. Bang Bang, Mystery Man

**Author's Note:**

> CTRL+V'd from FFN:
> 
> Welcome to "Arc of Eternity".
> 
> This is a direct sequel to "Pains of Identity", which is of itself a sequel to "Reverse of Arcadia". If you haven't read either of those stories, I'd recommend going back and reading those to avoid continuity lock-out.
> 
> Additionally, this story is a crossover with Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V, featuring many of the same characters and concepts. This story also features another character of mine, Tim Ihansha, and includes small references to his series which is as of yet incomplete.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has supported me over the years. I hope you enjoy the story.

For the longest time, there was only darkness.

I couldn't see, I couldn't think, I couldn't feel.

And then suddenly, there was light.

The darkness surrounding me, stretching out endlessly, began to subside, and I had this wonderful feeling of euphoria flow through me. It was, strange as it may sound, realer than reality.

Images and memories of days, years gone by flew at me one after the other, blending together. Some pleasant, some not so pleasant. I saw the smiling faces of my friends. Yusei, Jack, Crow, Taze, Akiza, Leo, and Luna: the ones I'd turned away from. The ones I'd shunned. The people I foolishly tried to destroy and ended up driving away. I remembered standing with them after Rex Goodwin was defeated, watching as the black sky broke, leaving a calm, cloudless blue sky in its place. I remembered Luna's kind words, her constant reassurance and support, even in spite of all my problems. I saw my first kiss, and re-experienced that same warm and fuzzy feeling when Luna's lips touched mine.

But then I saw my mother burst into tears at my father's funeral. I saw Joel, watching from behind a crack in the door as his father Kobi abused me. I saw Explosivo tell me I was loved no matter what, but then lead me to Sayer to get brainwashed. I heard my mother's voice, angry that I hadn't contacted her in several years, telling me that I was a selfish child and that she didn't want to hear from me again. I saw the absolute terror on Luna's face as I stood looking out over the city, ready to take my life. Her expression twisted to one of disgust, and then we were there on the Ark Cradle, and she wanted no more to do with me.

In that moment, I was ready to die.

I deserved to die.

I turned my back on my friends, allying myself with a supposed God just to get revenge on a single person. I remembered that I'd said before on the Ark Cradle how an individual life meant nothing. So then why did I feel like I was owed Joel's death? I'm not… no… _I wasn't_ anybody special. I was just some guy who happened to be able to communicate with Duel Spirits, but aside from that, I was just like everyone else.

I had to take the good with the bad, be grateful of the friends I'd made and the experiences I'd shared with them, but also understand that it was my fault and my choice driving them away. Besides, they wouldn't want anything to do with me anyway. They would all be better off without me.

I had to accept it: this was the end.

Except it wasn't.

* * *

I woke slowly to the intense aroma and taste of salt, trembling as my drenched body became exposed to the air around me, my eyelids flickering open. There was a shimmering discomfort from behind my back. I tried my hardest to focus, but everything just seemed incredibly foggy and my whole body felt incredibly cramped.

When my vision finally did return, I found myself sitting across from a tall, incredibly buff-looking, and (for some reason) naked man. He had spiky orange hair which was tied at the back into a ponytail, and his eyes were a similar fiery color. What my eyes were _really_ drawn to, however, was the lightning bolt-shaped scar across his chest, which he seemed to outwardly present as though it was a badge of honor.

"Suh, dude," the man said to me.

I blinked several times. I tried to ask, "where am I?" and "who are you?", but I found myself caught on my words. My lips quivered and trembled, and my throat tensed. I just couldn't get the words out. I put a hand to my mouth. I couldn't speak.

The man's eyes narrowed just a little, and I had difficulty discerning who he was, if I had met him somewhere before, and what his intentions were. "Stop," he said to me, "you're too tense. Relax."

I did as the man said, no longer trying to force myself to speak, relaxing my muscles and taking a breath. "Wh-wh-who are you?" I stuttered.

"Tim," the man said simply, "Tell me: did you always have a stutter?"

"N-n…" I stopped, failing at my attempt to say no, sighing and deciding to shake my head instead.

"I see…" Tim said, looking away for a moment. "I'm sorry."

I groaned, forcing myself to try and sit upright. My body felt stiff, my clothes clinging to me like a second skin. I wondered even more who this man was, and why he was apologizing to me, but of course, I failed pretty much every attempt I made at speaking. My hands and my mouth felt clammy, the taste of salt really starting to get to me.

It was only then that I could hear the sound of water around me, and I realized that the small cramped space I was seated in must have been some sort of boat, but it wasn't like any kind of boat I'd seen before.

Granted, I hadn't really seen that many boats in my life, only one, in fact, when I was traveling from the Satellite to New Domino City after the defeat of the Dark Signers. Still, that boat was nothing like _this_ one. This boat was small, hexagonal in shape, and seemed to be plated with bronze or some other similar reflective metal. There didn't seem to be any way of steering it either, at least from what I could see.

There was some sort of singular raised platform in the center of the boat, atop of which was a set of clear cylinders protected by a hexagonal barrier of glass. Above that even, was a crystal ball held in some kind of container. I could just barely make out my reflection in the ball, but I didn't at all like what I saw.

There were dark circles under my eyes, creases just above them. My eyes were veiny and red, and my lips were dry and cracked. My skin was pale and puffy, and the hair on my head was starting to thin. I thought my eyes had deceived me, that the ball was just dirty or something and I wasn't getting a good look at myself.

I edged a little closer to the ball, trying to get to my feet. It was as if my body was screaming at me for even daring to move my muscles.

With no help from the stranger, Tim, who just stared at me as I tried to stand, I was eventually able to get to my feet.

My eyes widened and I gasped. From where I was standing, I could just make out the shoreline of the Satellite Sector in the distance. I turned, and at the other end of the boat over a stretch of water was the mainland of New Domino City, the Daedalus Bridge stretching across and connecting with the Satellite.

I turned back to the center of the boat, looking down into the crystal ball and locking eyes with my horrific reflection once more. I started to shake. "What the Hell…?" I whimpered to myself.

"Yeah, you don't look too good." Tim finally decided to speak again. "I'm not surprised though. I saw you floating face-down out in the water. I watched you for, like, five minutes. You're _really_ bad at swimming. Your lungs were all wet and stuff. I had to get all the water out. It was gross."

"What are you talking about?" my voice was hollow and crisp.

"Well, I don't know how long you were like that before I got here."

"Y-you…" I struggled out. It took me longer than it should have for me to wrap my head around what this stranger was telling me, but eventually, together with the startling sight of my reflection, I was able to piece it together. This person, whoever he was, rescued me.

_I hate the person you've become…_

_I'll just pretend you're retarded like he is._

_I thought that you were better than Sly… than, than Lester, but you're just the same as them! Please… just stay away from me…_

I clenched my fists. I didn't _want_ to be rescued. I _wanted_ to _die_.

"You fucking _idiot_!" I snapped. "Why the _fuck_ did you have to save me?! I was _trying_ to kill myself!"

" _Trying_? You succeeded. You were already dead by the time I got to you, but I couldn't stand to see someone waste their life, so I fixed you."

" _Fixed_ me?! What the _fuck_ does _that_ mean?!"

"Uh… it means I _fixed_ you. You were _dead_ , and now you're _not_. You're _welcome_." Tim spoke very slowly, talking down to me as if I were a child or severely mentally challenged, not unlike how Joel used to speak to me.

In spite of the man's manner of speech, his words did reach me. I found myself glancing back at the crystal ball to look at my reflection again. I softly pressed my fingers, stiff and bloated, to my cheek, swollen and puffy. I _had_ died, I realized. But that realization came with a flood of thoughts: Was I still _technically_ dead? Was my blood even flowing? Was my heart even _beating_? Was _any_ of this even _real_?! Of course, all my thoughts, and all those questions I wanted to ask, were quickly brushed aside by my own growing anger.

"Listen here: I don't know what kind of powers you have, but you had no right doing _anything_ to me! What _I_ do with _my_ life is _no one's_ business but _mine_!"

Tim sighed, running a hand through his orange hair. "When I got to you, there were no signs of physical damage, like stab or bullet wounds, done to your body, so I figured you must have committed suicide. I've seen people I care about have their lives taken from them, so it bugs me when I see someone giving up their own life so freely."

"You have no idea what you're talking about." I said sternly, as it only just started sinking in how fluent my speech was.

"So, you _didn't_ commit suicide then?"

"W-w-well," I stammered, losing my fluency, "I-I did, but that's none of your business…! It's not up to you to use black magic voodoo to bring me back to life! It's not your choice!"

" _Every_ choice is my choice!" Tim stated firmly.

"You don't even _know_ me!"

"I know you're a coward. After all, only cowards kill themselves."

"I'm not gonna be insulted by some random, so either tell me who you are and what you want with me – why you're here – or fuck off!" I demanded.

Tim's nostrils flared, and for a moment I thought he was going to hit me, but he exhaled sharply, shaking his head instead. "Watch it. The only reason I haven't killed you is because of all the trouble I went through in bringing you back to life." Tim exhaled once more. "I told you my name already, so you know _who_ I am, but if you want to know _why_ I'm here, that's actually a funny story." Tim cleared his throat. "I teach at this Magic School, and I'm going through the storeroom 'cause I'm bored, right? And I come across, well, what we're standing in right now."

"Which is…?" I asked.

Tim looked down. "Well I guess it's some sort of interdimensional boat thing. But see, at the time, I thought it was just an old hot tub. So, I filled it with water and fiddled around with the setup. Next thing I know, all the water's gone from the boat and I'm in some war-torn country. They were in the middle of a hunger strike, but I totally won. Then I got involved with their totalitarian government and gave their president or prime minister or whatever the Hell they call their leader a heart attack 'cause I'm so awesome. _That_ caused a riot, so I just got back on the boat and booked it outta there. And… now I'm here."

I blinked a couple of times, not sure I completely understood what Tim had said. "What do you mean you _won_ a hunger strike?"

Tim raised an eyebrow. " _That's_ what got you? Not 'I teach at a Magic School', or that I somehow traveled through dimensions?"

"No. I've experienced a lot of weird shit. Duel Spirits, Dark Signers. Hell, I even partnered up with a God of Destruction to try and destroy that city over there." I pointed to the mainland of New Domino City. "That's also why I'm not really surprised that you somehow possess the power to bring people back to life."

"Hmm?" Tim tilted his head to the side, silently studying me for a while. "And… you're a Muggle?"

"Muggle?" I asked.

"A human being? No latent, magical, special abilities or anything?"

"Um…" I pondered, "I don't know. I guess that depends on what you define as m-magical. I mean, I can see and communicate with Duel Spirits, travel to their world, but aside from that, I'm a pretty normal guy. As for me being human though," I looked down at my pale, swollen hands, "I don't know, _am_ I still human?"

"Yeah, you're still human. Your body's just gonna take a while recover."

I nodded, Tim and I staring at each other in silence for half a minute. Since it didn't seem like he was going to say anything, I decided to speak up. "Well," I sighed, "r-really nice talking to you. Actually, the last p…person I spoke to before you, I had a fight with, so it's good to know I can end things on a more p-p-positive note. You can just set me down at the shoreline, or go off and leave me here, and I'll just pick up where I left off."

" _Still_ gonna try and kill yourself, eh?" Tim chuckled for a brief moment, his expression breaking suddenly into an eerie calmness. "Well it seems like I _didn't_ fix you. You're obviously still broken. I'd better finish the job."

"Wh-what the Hell do you mean by that?!"

"You're coming with me."

"E-e-e-excuse me?" I asked.

"I'm gonna take you 'round to see other Dimensions. Maybe _then_ you'll realize how fortunate you are, and you'll stop acting like a little bitch." Tim stated.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not going _anywhere_ with you. I don't even know you."

"Well I brought you back to life, so I practically own you now." Tim's voice sounded quite menacing, and for a moment I'd forgotten that Tim had brought me back from the dead, and with my thoughts drifting to what had happened in the past with Sayer, I became fearful of my safety. Tim's face however suddenly formed a smile, flashing his teeth at me. They were the whitest, most perfect teeth I'd ever seen. "Relax, kid. You're perfectly safe with me." He eased.

"I'm not a k-kid. I'm eighteen." I grumbled.

"Is that right? Well, you might be eighteen, but you're acting like a ten-year-old. Lucky for _you_ though, dealing with children is my specialty. I taught this one kid, Barry was his name, I think. Man, he was the _biggest_ pussy. I taught him for seven years, and during that time, he was a huge pile of crap. Everyone around him built him up to be some chosen one, but he squandered every opportunity he had. And when I look at you, I see the same damn thing: Someone squandering the gifts they've been given. In your case, the gift of life." Tim stretched his arms out behind his back. "So, I'm taking you under my wing… guy. I'm sorry, what's your name?"

"Tyler." I said quickly, without even thinking it might be a bad idea telling this person my name.

"Alright, Skylar, you might want to sit down or hold onto something." Tim focused on the center column of the boat, fiddling with the various contraptions. I briefly contemplated jumping off the boat to try and escape, but Tim's physique was far superior to mine, and I knew he'd have no trouble catching me and dragging me back to the boat if he really wanted to.

"Wh-what are you doing?" I asked nervously.

"Quiet. I'm trying to remember how I did this last time." Tim sighed, mumbling "how did it go again?" as he sighed once more. I was suddenly given a fright as Tim slammed one of his hands down on the casing surrounding the cylinders. "Ah!" he said, like he'd had a sudden epiphany. "🎶Bing, bang, boom. And the boat goes zoom!🎶" Tim said in a sing-song sort of way, moving the various cylinders surrounding the crystal ball up and down.

A whirring sound filled my ears, starting off as nothing more than a light hum, before eventually becoming the only thing I could hear. The cylinders changed too, a multicolored light quickly filling them. I was reminded quickly of the Dark Signers, Momentum, Infinity, and Yliaster. I wondered if Tim might have been connected to any or all of those things, but those thoughts were quickly drowned out by the increasing noise the boat seemed to somehow make.

The sound of thunder broke through the whirring of the boat as I looked to both sides of me, yellow electricity crackling along the sides of the boat. And then it was as though the wind was knocked out of me, and I dropped to the floor of the boat. There was an intense pressure against my chest, like I was being pinned to the bottom of the boat and couldn't get up.

I had no idea what was going on, or where Tim was taking me, but regardless, there wasn't much I could do. Part of me thought, and hoped it was all just a dream, a final burst of life from my brain before my body ceased to function and I'd fade away into a painless, empty death.

The other part of me knew full-well that it wasn't a dream, but hoped that whatever happened, wherever I ended up, I'd be able to make it back to New Domino City in the end.


	2. Depreston

"Come on. You can get up now."

Tim stared down at me, a hand outstretched for me to take, but I just stayed lying against the floor of the boat, looking up at the redheaded man in bewilderment.

I couldn't even describe the feeling of traveling through dimensions. I'd been to the Spirit World, Hell, but that was nothing like this. Those trips in comparison to this one had been rather comfortable, or at least painless. This time, I felt everything, and it was like I'd had my soul ripped from my body and then forced back in. I didn't know what to make of it.

Tim shook his head, staring down at me before pulling me to my feet. " _Ow_ …" I cringed, his grip on my arm rather strong.

Tim smiled, "Ah, good. You're already starting to get feeling back." Tim's smile widened. "You've _also_ got good restraint. Most people I meet can't resist getting a look at my-"

I felt my face heat up just a little as I forced myself to avoid looking at his crotch. "I-I'm not… I'm not _that way_ inclined…" I told him.

"Suit yourself, you're missin' out." Tim shrugged. "Now, we'd better get you some new clothes. Your body needs to recover, and right now it's in a very vulnerable state. If you get pneumonia, that's it."

I looked down at myself, my drenched work clothes clinging to my body like a second skin. "Wh-where would we get clothes from?"

"From the shops here… or rather _shop_. You got a Kmart where you're from?" Tim asked. I shook my head. "Ah, well, you're in for a…" Tim paused, almost as though he was trying to find the right words to say, "It's an experience, this place."

I looked around. Gone was the Satellite Sector and New Domino City, orange sky and clear water. Instead, the sky was a deep red, and the land stretched on across both sides. I could see red and white blimps flying across the sky, screens with messages on them. Tim retrieved the crystal ball from its holder on the boat and looked down at it for a moment before turning to me.

"Are you coming?" Tim asked. As though he could sense my hesitance, Tim sighed. "I told you, I'm not going to hurt you. Now, we got to get you out of those clothes. Are you coming, or what?"

I wanted to say something, but I couldn't. Thanks to my newfound stutter or stammer or block – whatever the Hell it was called, my words were literally trapped inside my body. I felt so powerless, to have myself now be denied what I thought to be a basic human function. It might have been the wrong way of thinking, it probably was, but I saw myself now as someone less _than_ human.

I sighed in defeat, leaving the relative safety of the boat and stepping out into a foreign world.

* * *

I had never really traveled in my life. Being only eighteen years old – an age I considered young – I didn't really have much opportunity to spend time traveling, what with living in the Satellite and combating Mesoamerican demons. Yes, I had gone to the Spirit World, and yes, I had gone to Hell, and I'd even read books about other places, other countries, but I had never seen or experienced anything like I had here with Tim.

As we walked through the clustered city of this strange, almost alien place, I was greeted only with the colors of red and white. The buildings, the roads, the people, they all seemed to blend together, a unifying mesh of red and white. There was a distinct lack of any other color. Trusting in my, for lack of a better word, captor, I followed Tim closely, hoping that he would protect me from any unsavory individuals we might encounter. He said he was taking me, _us_ , to a shop, and so I assumed that he'd obviously visited this place at some point before in his life.

Tim stopped outside a rather small outlet, with a sign on the outside that just read ' _Clothes_ ' and nothing else. Tim walked in through the doors and I followed him, the two of us catching the eye of the receptionist. _My_ eyes, however, were immediately drawn to the walls and furniture of the store, all varying shades of red.

My eyes were eventually brought back to meet the eyes of the receptionist. The person, whose gender I couldn't determine (not that it mattered) had their head shaved completely, and wore informal unisex attire consisting of a red suit with red pants, a white shirt underneath. They would have blended right in with the walls and the desk had it not been for their white shirt and dark skin.

The receptionist didn't seem at all perturbed by my zombie-like appearance, or Tim's full-frontal nudity, which was comforting in a way. I didn't want any attention drawn to myself unnecessarily.

"Hello, welcome to Clothing, how can I help you?" the receptionist asked. I was almost taken aback. Not even their voice denoted their gender.

Tim turned back to me. "Have you got a preference for anything?"

"N…n-no, not r-really." I answered like a stuttering sheep. I wanted to slap myself across the face. I hated myself.

"Alright," Tim looked around at the assortment of clothing the store had on display. I used the word 'assortment' loosely. It was literally all red and white clothing. No brand names or anything from what I could tell. Tim turned back to me, as if sizing me up. "We'll need to get you something bigger around the front."

My face heated up, Tim's words further destroying what little self-worth I had left. I wasn't obese or anything, but I'd obviously been treating my body poorly the last few months. Anyone could have seen that without commenting on it. "Yeah, th-thanks. That… d-doesn't hurt my feelings at all. Just 'cause you're really well-built and… got abs, and… not fat…"

Tim walked over and pulled a few pairs of shirts, pants and undies down from their hangers, tossing me some clothes and then pointing to the back of the store. "Come with me."

Clutching the clothes in my hands, I followed Tim to the back of the store where the changing rooms were. "Wh-what are-"

"Come on. In. That one." Tim pushed on the door to one of the cubicles and opened it, before getting into the one adjacent to mine.

I sighed, getting into the empty cubicle, closing the door and locking it before setting the clothes down and stripping off. The waterlogged clothes I'd been wearing fell to the floor with a thud. I sighed.

It was actually quite freeing to be naked, honestly. Or I guess rather to be free of those constricting clothes. There were no restrictions on my body anymore. But of course, Tim was right: I did need to put those other clothes on before my body worsened.

"So," I heard Tim say, "While we're in here, why don't you tell me why you decided to kill yourself?"

"I… I…" I stammered. "C-can we just get changed and get out of here? I-it's a… long story, and I don't want to go into it." I eventually settled on. "Especially since I… c-can't even really… talk…!" I breathed heavily, trying to force the words out and almost suffocating in the process.

"I can't fix you if I don't know why you're broken."

"I don't want to be fixed; I want to die." I reiterated. "Besides, you probably w-w-w-wouldn't understand if I told you." I told him. I heard Tim laugh and my nostrils flared, curling my swollen hands into fists. "Is that funny to you?" I asked.

"You sure you're eighteen? And _male_?" Tim sighed. "Listen, Skylar, I won't understand if you don't tell me."

"It's…" I stammered, my mouth hanging on the word, " _Tyler_. My name's T-Tyler…"

"Right, well, what's wrong with you? Obviously, there's a reason that you felt the need to kill yourself. So, tell me what it is."

"I… _no_ …" I said firmly. "I don't want to… I-it's too much…"

"Too much what?"

"I've only told o-one other person, and even then, I didn't tell them the whole s-story, and since I don't really know you, I'd rather not tell you any p-personal things about m-me."

"You don't know me, huh? Then let's _get_ to know each other. My name is Tim Ihansha. My younger sister was murdered by a psychopath and exacting revenge on the person that killed her became the only reason I had to live. I spent every day of my life training in solitude, waiting for the opportunity for my sister's killer to show his face again. And eventually he did, and then I killed him. In the meantime, I'd been offered a job at the magic school I told you about as a cover, and while I didn't enjoy teaching at first, I eventually warmed up to it." Tim's tone was very rough, as though what he'd told me seemed difficult for him to even say. "There. Now you know about me. What about you?"

I stayed silent for a while, unsure of what to say. "I-I'm sorry to hear that… about your sister. Were you close?" I asked.

"Yes." Tim's voice was still quite low. "Now, tell me about you?"

"As I said, it's a long story-"

Tim chuckled. "There's much more to me than what I just told you, but we're not here to talk about me. We're here to talk about you. So, talk about you."

I swallowed and my body started to shake. "I mean, um… i-it's not going to make much sense if I tell you bits and pieces."

"Tell me whatever you need to." Tim said kindly. "And take your time too. If you try and force yourself to speak, you'll be less likely to actually get the words out. Just take a few deep breaths and tell me whatever you want."

I curled my hands into fists once again, willing myself to talk, if only just to get it all out of my system. But I wasn't sure if I could. I hadn't told anyone everything. Not Seria, not Yusei.

Not Luna…

_What's complicated about it?! He was trying to destroy the city!_

Her words rang in my head, hurting me just as they had the first time she'd said them. I didn't blame her, I couldn't. But it just hurt to hear the girl I loved… no, _love_ … want no more to do with me.

I closed my eyes, breathing in and out several times. I tried to focus everything on my speech, reminding myself that there was no pressure. Yes, Tim was a stranger, but I didn't really care what he thought about me or my past.

And Luna didn't even want to listen. I didn't get the opportunity to tell her. Maybe that would have softened her hatred towards me. It was hatred, wasn't it? I mean, how do you go from telling someone you love them and spending all your time with them, to telling that same person to stay away and then not contacting you at all for six months?

It had to be hatred, and whether or not I'd ever get the chance in life or death to redeem myself in Luna's eyes remained to be seen. But I couldn't keep this in. I had to tell someone.

"I… lived a pretty cushy life as a kid. I didn't know it at the time, but when you're a kid you never really do, do you? My mom and dad both had high paying jobs and bought me pretty much whatever I wanted. I was happy. Then," I sighed, verbalizing "and I remember this so vividly, one day after school, my mom picked me up. She never used to pick me up. My dad had been killed in a car accident." I shut my eyes even tighter. "How the Hell are you supposed to react to something like that, when you're eight years old?"

"How _did_ you react?" Tim asked.

"I didn't. I just… kept going with life. I was so young, I guess I was… just trying to deny it and keep hold of any happiness or… semblance of normality I had. It didn't really sink in until the funeral a couple weeks later, when I saw my mom, who I'd never seen cry before, burst into tears. That's when it hit me. At the reading of his Will, I was given a Duel Monsters card, along with a letter from my father that told me how proud he was of me, and that if I ever felt alone, he'd be with me, and I'd be protected. I cried so much that night. I missed my dad so much, and then…" I trailed off, my voice starting to get a little croaky.

"Then what?" Tim pressed.

"The card my dad gave me… it… started glowing, and then… my room lit up with this light, and this guy with yellow eyes dressed in red armor stood at the f-foot of my bed. I was frightened. A stranger in my room? I didn't know what to do. I asked with, I think fear evident in my voice, what did he want with me. But he said that he didn't want _anything_ with me. He just… wanted me not to be frightened. He said that I didn't have to be frightened anymore, that he'd protect me. It was then that I recognized that he was the man from the card, only he wasn't a man, or at least a human. He was a Duel Spirit. Of course, I didn't know that at the time. He took me to this place, this forest, where all of my anger and frustration and sadness just… melted away. I felt safe with him, like I could trust him." I paused for a very long time. "I was wrong. Less than a year after my dad's passing, my mom remarried a man named Kobi Banzu. He had a very high paying job with the Public Maintenance Bureau, and I have to imagine that's why she got involved with him in the first place. My mom wanted to continue giving me the high standards of life that she'd always given me, and I was still a kid, and didn't really have an understanding of how money worked. It was hard for her on her own, having a selfish child like me as a son. What she didn't know at the time, and something I'd only learn about later, was that Kobi was an alcoholic. His relationship with my mom blossomed, but him and I… didn't get along so well. Thinking about it now, and… what happened later on, I probably could have handled myself a little better. I… I blamed Kobi for what had happened almost, I hated him for trying to replace my dad. It wasn't his fault, but I was nine at the time, and didn't really understand anything. Nevertheless, my… attitude towards Kobi caused him to lash out at me. It started with arguments, screaming matches between the two of us, but… eventually it escalated to… ph-physical harm. He'd come home late at night, completely intoxicated and beat me in my bed. Any scars, cuts or bruises I got, I'd just have to make up an excuse for the next day. Kobi threatened that if I ever _did_ tell anyone… that he'd go after my mom."

"There had to have been _someone_ you could've talked to?"

"There was… sort of. I had a friend, Taze, who I had told about what was going on with me, and he believed me, b-b-but the thing was, there wasn't much that either of us could do. See, Kobi had a son. Joel. He was older than me and didn't like me very much. He thought, like I did in a way, that my mom was with Kobi for some financial stability. That she was just using him for his money. But… there had to have been more to it than that, right? A reason why they fell in love?" I asked. It wasn't really a question I wanted answered, but Tim seemed to hum knowingly.

"I made a mistake a few years ago. At the school I taught at, there was this incredible woman. A teacher like me. She was absolutely insatiable. A little older than the others, but I didn't care. I wanted her, so I went for her. You can call it love or whatever, but there was something there between us. I'd like to think there still is…" Tim mused, almost seeming lost in his own head. "Oh, sorry, what were you saying?"

"Well, Joel, as I said, didn't like me very much. At all, really. He was always teasing me, insulting me. My mom thought it was just a brotherly thing but… there was one night when Kobi was…" I paused, grimacing, "giving me quite a spirited beating, and I guess I made a little too much noise, because Joel heard. I thought he'd help me – I _begged_ him to help me – but he just watched and urged me just to suck it up and take it."

"Well…" Tim muttered. "That's… not good…"

The understatement of the fucking year.

"Eventually, I had enough of being beaten, so I left. I ran away from home, abandoning my life of 'luxury' in New Domino City for a life of poverty in the Old Satellite District. But it was there that I met some truly amazing and incredible people, people that helped me, stood by me, treated me like family and put everything into perspective for me. Of course, life in the Satellite was tough. We hardly ever had enough food to eat, and we had rival gangs to worry about. Not only that, but I started having these weird dreams, flashes of someone calling out to me, wanting me, asking me for something. Eventually, after a lot of heartache, my friends – Yusei, Jack, Crow, Kalin, and I, we liberated the Satellite. But that came at a cost. Kalin, who was the leader of our Duel Gang, was arrested for murdering a Sector Security officer."

"Sector Security?" Tim asked.

I shook my head. "S-sorry, I've been speaking as though you know what I'm talking about, even though I'm probably not making much sense to you. N-New Domino City and the Satellite used to be one united city, but prior to that, there was an event called Zero Reverse, which basically split the city in two – New Domino City, where all the lower-to-upper class people live, and the Satellite Sector, where criminals and those in poverty lived. Sector Security was basically a police force, but with Duel Monsters instead of guns, that allegedly upheld the peace and kept Satellite and New Domino separate."

"You mentioned Duel Monsters before. What is that? Or they? Or whatever it is…"

"Well, to put it simply, it's a card game, but… there are times that I've wished it _was_ just a game." I muttered.

"Right, I'm not sure I follow. Your law enforcement is decided on the outcome of a game?"

"Not just law enforcement," I found myself smiling, "but pretty much everything. I know it probably sounds strange to you, but that's all I, and probably everyone else in New Domino, knows. I don't know how you do things where you come from, but for me and a lot of other people, Duel Monsters is ingrained in our way of life, it's our culture… for better or worse. We have schools for it, people from all over come to participate in tournaments and watch others play. It's the foundation of New Domino's society. Its inspiration is tied to the fabric of existence… at least in my dimension it is…"

Tim sighed. "I'm not judging. I'm just trying to understand. What happened after your friend was arrested?"

"W-well I would've been happy with nothing, honestly. I'd have been perfectly content living day-to-day in the Satellite, but destiny wasn't done fucking with me. I had another weird dream, where this voice told me that an evil force was threatening to destroy the world, and that I, together with this young girl who I knew nothing about, had to protect the Spirit World. When I woke up, that Duel Spirit I spoke about before, he led me to an alley in the dead of night, where I was abducted by this man, Sayer." I started breathing heavier just at the mere thought of him. "S-Sayer was a manipulative cunt. He possessed the ability to…" I sighed, "this is gonna sound really strange, but he had the ability to make Duel Monster cards real. Like, the Spells, the Monsters. He used a card called Brain Control and manifested its power, literally putting me under his control. He made me follow him onto a boat which took us back to the mainland of New Domino City, and from there, to this place called the Arcadia Movement. He used this weird machine to brainwash me and erase most of my memories, only leaving me with seemingly essential things – my name, how to talk, how to Duel, but nothing else."

"Amnesia, huh…?" Tim said aloud.

"I was g-given a Deck and made to bunk with two other Arcadia Movement members, who unlike me weren't brainwashed and didn't have amnesia. They, like Sayer, had Psychic powers, but not to the same level as Sayer. There was only one other person who rivaled Sayer in mastery of Psychic powers – Akiza. She was absolutely amazing. Beautiful, powerful, but she seemed to hang on Sayer's every word. Anyway, I started to get trained up right away, assisting with Akiza's training and being put through Duel Runner training." I paused, realizing that, again, I was speaking as though Tim already knew exactly what I was talking about. "That's a motorcycle that you play Duel Monsters on." I explained. "But, on my way back from training, who should I run into but Yusei?"

"Yusei's the guy from your gang, right?"

"Yeah…" I confirmed, "he was… I think very surprised to see me, and I think, you know, if I had have been in my right mind, I would have probably been surprised to see him as well. I mean, I _was_ surprised to see him. In spite of what Sayer had done or tried to do to me, there was this niggle in the back of my-"

"I don't think you can use that word." Tim interrupted.

"What?" I asked, my train of thought broken. My eyes widened as I realized the word I used and what word Tim had _thought_ I used. "Not _that_ word." I sighed. "Alright, _fine_ , there was this _thought_ in the back of my head that I knew Yusei from somewhere, but I couldn't place any of it. I was quickly taken back into the Arcadia Movement and assessed. I was told to my face but not to my face, if that makes sense, that the brainwashing they'd done was wearing off, and that my body was in such a state from seeing Yusei that any alterations made to my brain would have killed me. At some point, I passed out and woke up in another world where I met this magician named Torunka. He asked me to help rescue a girl named Luna, who had been taken prisoner by a Duel Spirit named Zeman. I realized that the place I'd found myself in – the Spirit World – was a place that I had recognized, so of course, I opted to help rescue Luna, and I did, and after that, the three of us set off to find a Duel Spirit named Regulus. Anyway, we find Regulus, we do all that stuff, and Luna and I go back to the 'Human World'. It turned out that Luna was being held prisoner in the Arcadia Movement, and that she and I were special in the sense that we had ties to the Spirit World, which is why Sayer wanted me under his control so badly. He wanted to use Luna and me to access the Spirit World, I guess." I shook my head. "It didn't matter. By this point, I knew that Sayer was evil. After all, what kind of person would uproot someone from their home and then brainwash them and make them forget everything they ever knew? I rescued Luna along with her brother Leo, who was also being held there, and ran into Yusei, Jack, and Akiza. Here's where things get a little complicated. Yusei, Jack, Akiza, and Luna were, and I guess still are, Signers, these people chosen by the Crimson Dragon, a God of Creation, to fight against the Dark Signers, people chosen by the King of the Underworld – a God of Destruction. So I get all involved in that, not obviously to the point of the others, but I didn't think it was fair on Luna, who was eleven years old at the time, to put her life on the line and fight against these guys that wanted her dead."

"Right."

"So I get my Deck back from Yusei, who'd been keeping it for me, and right before all that stuff with the Dark Signers happens, I meet up with Joel, who, now that I think about it, was basically telling me straight up about everything that had happened. He was angry at me for some reason as well, like it was my fault that I couldn't handle being physically abused and that I should have been able to… even thinking about it now, I just want to know what the Hell he was thinking. How he could blame me for what happened. What kind of person does that?" my voice was starting to crack, so I stopped.

"You okay?" I heard Tim ask.

I nodded, and when I realized he couldn't see me, I said "Yes." I took a deep breath and continued. "He said all this shit about how he missed me… yeah, missed me being a punching bag for his dad. Of course, I didn't know that at the time, and I'm sure that Joel was fucking relieved that I had amnesia, but in spite of that, he continued to egg me on. Anyway, we had a Duel to settle our bonds, and parted on what I thought were really good terms, and they were. But of course, if I had have known what happened, I wouldn't have wanted anything to do with him. He spouted off some crap about how my mom missed me, and that I should give her a call, so after all that stuff with the Dark Signers was over, that's what I did. I don't know what I was thinking, giving her a call. I wasn't thinking. I was trusting, trusting the words of my Duel Spirit partner, who said that once things with the Dark Signers had been taken care of, things would go back to normal. But of course, they didn't. My mom pretty much just disowned me. She basically said that she didn't want anything to do with me, and I just felt so alone and empty. I… tried to take my own life, but Luna stopped me." I shook my head, exhaling sharply. "I put that poor girl through so much… but she continued to stand by me." I felt tears start to well up in my eyes. "I pushed her away. I pushed everyone away. I wanted to get myself sorted out, I wanted to find some semblance of normality, but I couldn't. Eventually, we all crossed paths again, and I tried to hide it, because what did I have to be upset about? Yusei and the others had the world on their shoulders, and I was crying 'cause my mommy didn't want me. Grow up, right?"

"Did your mother know about what happened?"

"I don't know. I don't know if she _ever_ found out. Joel probably kept it all a secret from her after we met up again for the first time in years." I spoke softly. "Anyway, I deliberately avoided my friends for as long as I could, until I was eventually reunited with them – not by choice, really." I sighed, "I sound like such a jerk, don't I?"

"Honestly? Yeah, a little."

"I wouldn't have blamed them if they hated me, but they didn't. In fact, Luna, she… she was even more supportive. She continued to stand by me and support me, even though I put her through all that crap. I don't know what I would have done without her. Eventually, Luna and I became… more than friends… s-she kissed me, and… told me that she loved me."

"She's the one that was eleven, right?"

"Well, by then, she'd turned twelve."

"And how old were you?"

"Th-the same age I am now. Eighteen…" I muttered.

" _Oh_ …"

"It's not like that. I never did anything to her, or tried to hurt her… at least not intentionally…" I mumbled. Tim let out this disgusted tick and my nostrils flared. "Do you honestly think that someone in my position would rape or abuse her?"

"Hey, I told you, I'm not judging you. For all I know, the age of consent in your Dimension is fetus."

"Then what was that tick sound before?"

"I'm just trying to process everything. When I saw you floating out in the water before, I didn't know what to think of you. It's obvious you've been through some hard times, but it's how you pick yourself up after that show's how strong you are. Take me for instance. I could have given up after my sister died, but I didn't. I continued to push myself, strive to become better. That's what you need to do."

"I can't come back from what I did." I admitted solemnly. "I… I-I eventually _did_ regain my memories, obviously, but not gradually over time, where I probably would have been able to process things a little better. Basically, I was involved in a covert operation that went awry, and I was 'rescued' by a God of Destruction called Zone, who gave my memories back to me, all at once. I didn't really have much time to process anything. Zone wanted my help to destroy New Domino City, but all I wanted was to kill Joel. I wanted Joel to pay for all the suffering I'd been through at the hands of his father, rationalizing that it was fair that I try and take Joel's life, when his father had abused me and ruined mine. But… I put that desire so far ahead of everything that I wasn't able to save the relationships I had with my friends. When my attempt on Joel's life failed, I begged Luna for forgiveness, but she wouldn't forgive me. I don't blame her. It's a wonder she even put up with me in the first place." I started to tear up again, and I sighed. " _That's_ why I decided to kill myself…"

It was honestly kind of good to get everything out, or at least hear me say it out loud. It helped me make some sense of it.

I waited for Tim to say something, anything. It could have been supportive or degrading and it wouldn't have mattered, just something. But Tim stayed silent. I looked down at the clothes, picking the largest sets of clothes I had and putting them on. I didn't much care how I looked. I already looked like a fucking zombie, after all.

I heard the door to Tim's changing room open, the sound of footsteps quickly receding and then returning. He reached over the top of my door, lowering in a pair of red shoes and white socks. "Here. You need something for your feet."

"Thanks…" I said, taking the shoes from him. The shoes were probably the most difficult thing for me to put on, considering how swollen my feet were, but as I turned to look at myself in the changing room mirror, I could have even fooled myself.

Aside from the red _everything_ , I almost looked normal.

Unlocking and pushing open the changing room door, I was surprised to see what Tim was wearing. A red blazer covering his chest but no shirt underneath, and a pair of loose-fitting red jeans, but no shoes or socks on his feet. I waited for Tim to say something else, but he didn't. Tim just walked out of the changing rooms. I sighed dejectedly and followed him back to the desk.

"We'll take these." Tim said.

"That's one-hundred _K_. How will you be paying?"

Tim flicked some hair away from his eye. "Do a look-up for Dimension E-199999, then Gringotts Bank, Vault W22. Name's Tim Ihansha. There should be more than enough in there to cover it."

The person nodded, typing away at their keyboard. I tapped Tim on the shoulder. "I'm sorry, did they just say this all costs a hundred thousand?" I whispered.

"Nah, _K_ is the currency that this Dimension uses. Like how the UK uses pound sterling, the US uses dollars, and Australia uses dollarydoos." Tim explained. "It just seems like a lot, but it's actually not."

"Ah, right," I nodded, though I wasn't quite sure I really understood.

"Okay, that's all taken care of," the receptionist (and I guess check-out person) said. "Thank you for shopping with us. Have a great day."

"Thanks." Tim smiled, and I bowed as we left through the sliding doors. I assumed that Tim hadn't wanted to say much about what I'd told him while we were in the store, and now that we were outside, he'd actually, you know, talk about what I'd told him. Tim stayed at the curb however, looking across at a skyscraper in silence.

I sighed. Tim obviously wasn't going to talk, so I decided I'd have to take the initiative. "You didn't say anything before. I… t-told you things I've never told anyone and you haven't said anything. You said you wanted to know why I killed myself, and I told you… i-is that not enough for you? What else do you want from me…?"

I kept my eyes on Tim, who kept _his_ eyes on the skyscraper ahead. Tim licked his lips. "Follow me." Tim said simply, his eyes veering from the skyscraper as he turned and began to walk down the path.

I was starting to get angry. I didn't spill my guts to a stranger for them to just ignore me. " _Hey_!" I snapped, but Tim kept walking.

"Just follow me." Tim repeated. I sighed, smacking a hand against my thigh in frustration, but nevertheless picking up the pace to catch up with him. I really didn't have a choice, after all. I was in a strange world with no money and no way of contacting anyone who might have been able to help me. Of course, given the choice, no one probably would have _wanted_ to help me.

No one probably even cared.

I followed Tim, once again taking in the sights of the strange world I'd found myself in. The city was clearly über-industrialized, rivaling and possibly even surpassing New Domino City. Another red blimp came into view, this one with the message ' _Attention Kmart citizens: please remember not to play on your parents' trolleys. Have a nice day._ ' across it.

"What the Hell?" I said angrily.

"Tell me: did you ever used to go shopping with your parents?" Tim asked. "You'd pop up to IGA or Trader Joe's or whatever to get groceries?"

I nodded. "Yeah, a couple times. What's your point?"

"Well, this is like that, except this whole Dimension is basically a store – Kmart. In my Dimension, Kmart is a failing retail store chain, but in _this_ Dimension, history took a slightly different course, and, well… Kmart basically took over the world. They started offering home and car insurance, and the company behind it, the Sears Holdings Corporation, started to buy out other companies, franchises and businesses and brought everything under the Kmart banner." Tim explained, turning back to me. "You notice how the girl didn't bat an eye to us as we came into the store, or when I wanted to pay with money from another Dimension?"

"Wait, that check-out person was a _girl_?"

"People come from all over the multiverse to shop here, 'cause that's what this place is. This whole version of Earth is just one giant Kmart store, and they've started to set up Kmart stores on other planets in this Dimension too. They get a lot of good money from interdimensional tourists." Tim pointed to a projected image on the side of a skyscraper. It was a mugshot of a bald man in his mid-fifties. "See that man there? That's Sebastian Kresge, the man behind Kmart."

"R-right…" I mumbled. It was all a little bit over my head, to be honest. And truthfully, I didn't really care, but it did at least confirm what I'd thought. "S-so you've been here before then?"

"Not just here, mate. When I was a wee lad, I traveled all over the multiverse with a _crazy_ alcoholic scientist." Tim sighed. "We had some good times…" he reminisced. "Anyway," Tim nudged, "what I wanted to show you was this way."

I continued to follow Tim down the street, until we reached a large factory which seemed to be the centerpiece of the city. There were many people coming and going through the doors, all wearing the same clothing. The building itself reminded me of Team Non-Securities' old hideout in the Satellite, but much more well-kept (and, of course, red). Out the front of the building however was a towering statue carved from ruby in the likeness of that man from those projected images, Sebastian Kresge.

"This is unreal…" I muttered, following Tim inside the factory.

The interior of the building, or at least the entrance, was white. Literally just white. There was a single chair, and behind it, a desk, both white, where a receptionist sat typing away on their keyboard. I felt very uneasy.

The receptionist looked up from their monitor and over at Tim and I as the two of us approached.

"Hello, welcome to our facility. How may we be of service?" they asked.

Tim cleared his throat. "I'd like to show my friend around the factory, if that's okay."

The receptionist nodded. "Yes, of course. Feel free to look around our fine establishment on your own. Or, if you'd like, we have a factory tour currently in progress that you can join. It's possible it's almost finished, but you're free to join the next one afterwards as well, if you'd like."

"Yeah, that sounds great. Thanks." Tim smiled.

The receptionist smiled back, getting up out of their seat. "Then if you two would like to follow me." They motioned for Tim and I to follow them through a set of white doors, and of course I followed behind Tim. The three of us walked down a long stretch of hallway and I almost found myself losing my sense of place. Everything looked as though it just stretched on forever, everything blending together in a white, almost otherworldly haze.

The receptionist stopped, turning at another door, and opening it for us, as we found another group of people staring through a glass pane at what looked to be an assembly line of some kind. The receptionist motioned for us to enter and we did.

My eyes widened as I got a look at what was being pushed down the conveyor belt.

Babies.

Behind them were various contraptions, and five elders stood dressed in white and red garb. The middle one wore a headdress of a capital k flipped so that its legs were facing up. A branding furnace was situated at a dip in the conveyor belt, before what looked like a garbage chute.

"Ah, two more?" the tour guide asked, their eyes looking to Tim and me. I soon found other varying members of the tour group turning around to glance at Tim and me. The receptionist nodded and the tour guide smiled. "Fantastic, welcome. Thank you for your interest in Kmart." The tour guide turned back to the conveyor belt. "So as you can see here," the tour guide spoke, "once the birthing process is complete, and the babies are at a suitable stage of development, the Special K Priests will examine the young, and decide on the role they will have as members of the Kmart family."

"Special K Priests?" a tour-goer asked.

The tour guide nodded. "The exalted ones, chosen by our lord and savior Sebastian Kresge to carry on the Will of Kmart."

I watched one of the priests gently take one of the infants into their hands, and observe them for a moment, as if staring into their soul. Retrieving a piece of iron, the end of it bold and red, the priest pressed it against the baby's chest, who howled a bloodcurdling scream. When the priest removed the iron, I saw the word ' _cashier_ ' branded onto the infant's chest. The priest then set the head of the iron back in the furnace and retrieved a knife, cutting the baby's testicles off.

I felt myself start to get weak in the knees. "Oh my _God_ …" I wheezed as though I was suffocating.

"This one has been deemed fit for the role of cashier, and so has had their breeding privileges revoked. Once they are older, they will be educated at one of our care facilities and trained in whatever their occupation has been deemed to be. These roles are not negotiable, and any deviation from them will result in… penalties." The tour guide explained.

More and more babies were getting branded. I was seeing words like ' _trolley operative_ ', ' _shelf stocker_ ', ' _door greeter_ ' and ' _breeder_ ' getting branded onto these babies' chests, and no one seemed at all upset or horrified or just… anything normal. Everyone was just looking like this was just something that happened. "I don't believe this…" I whispered, only for a tour-goer to _shush_ me.

The head priest picked up a baby who looked, for lack of a better word, deformed, and threw the baby into the garbage chute.

"Now, as you saw with that one, they were deemed unfit for a role within the Kmart family, and so, they have been disposed of. But once they have passed on, their essence will be used as sustenance for those chosen to enter the Kmart family."

I threw up in my mouth, gagging into my right hand. Warm sick started to move down my hand as I backed away, not wanting to look at the atrocities these fucking _monsters_ were committing.

I ran back out the door as fast as my creaking joints and swollen feet could carry me, finding my way out of the factory and throwing up on the sidewalk.

I coughed, spluttered and heaved, my eyes watering, my gag reflex going absolutely _insane_. By the time I felt a hand grip my shoulder, I had pretty much emptied my entire body out.

"Hey, you alright?" Tim asked from behind me.

I wiped at my mouth before turning to Tim in a fit of rage. " _No_! What the _fuck_ was _that_?! This place is killing babies and shit, and no one seems to care! That's pretty fucked up!"

"Listen, I've seen a lot of crazy stuff in my day, and believe me, what's going on in _there_ ," Tim pointed to the factory, "that ain't even in my top ten."

"Well _excuse_ me for not being _conditioned_ to think that that's _normal_ or that that's _acceptable_ , 'cause it's fucking _not_!"

Tim sighed. "It might not be normal or acceptable where _you_ come from. That's fine. In my Dimension, if we did what these people were doing, we'd be locked up too. But in _this_ Dimension, it's just what they do. It's like how you were saying _your_ whole Dimension revolves around a card game-"

"Okay, playing Duel Monsters is _nothing_ like _killing_ babies and then having _other_ babies _eat_ the _dead_ babies!"

"They don't kill the babies. They wait for them to die from starvation, and then once they've died, they ground them down into nutrients for the other babies."

I shook my head quickly. "That's not _better_!" I snapped.

Tim put a hand to his hip. "Alright, look, you're being difficult. All I was trying to show you is that there are people that don't have any control over their lives from the minute they are born, and it's disrespectful for you to take your life when they would appreciate living so much more."

"It's _disrespectful_ of me, is it?" I asked incredulously. "You can say that, full of confidence, even _after_ I told you everything I went through?" My breathing suddenly slowed, and my eyes veered away from Tim's as I came to a realization. "Oh, I get it… y-you're a control whore. You can't stand someone else doing something that you don't like, even if it's got nothing to do with you, even if it doesn't affect you in any way." I licked my lips. Tim tensed one of his hands into a fist, and I instinctively edged back. "What? You gonna hit me? Is that what you do when you don't get your way? You resort to violence?"

"Don't push me."

I glanced at Tim's rippling muscles, his massive biceps. "Go on. Hit me. With arms like yours, you could probably kill me with one punch."

"That's what _you_ want though." Tim verbalized.

"So instead, you're just going to make me suffer, and live. Is that right?" I asked. "You want to control me? Like Kobi? Like Sayer?"

Tim furrowed his brows. "Alright, you want control, I'll show you control. Follow me."

I shook my head. "N-no, I'm not going anywhere with you. This bullshit ends now."

"Fine. Stay here." Tim retrieved the crystal ball from the pocket of his pants. "I can get back to my Dimension from here easy. I'll just leave you here."

"Well I'll just find someone else who has come here from another Dimension and get _them_ to take me home."

"Alright," Tim shrugged. "You can do that, but I suggest you figure out what Dimension you're actually from first. The multiverse is infinite and playing Russian Roulette to try and get back home is not a good idea." Tim put the crystal ball back in his pocket. " _Or_ ," he emphasized, "you can stick with me, and if you act your age and behave yourself, I'll take you home."

I sighed, once again, defeated. Tim was right. I had no idea where I was, how to get back, who I could trust, and those people in there at the tour seemed oddly okay with infantile genital mutilation. Stealing the crystal ball from Tim wouldn't do me any good either, as he'd probably catch me and beat the shit out of me, and even if I _was_ able to outrun him (a _big_ was), I had no idea how to operate the boat. My best course of action, I realized, was just to stick with Tim for the time being, hoping that he'd make good on his word and take me home.

"Alright, I'll… you're right… I'll do whatever you want…" I muttered dejectedly.

Tim clasped his hands together, his joviality immediately returning. " _Fantastic_. It's this way."

Tim once again started walking, and I once again followed.

I shouldn't complain. It was actually quite a short walk, even though my feet were killing me by the end of it.

From the alleys and passages out of the city, I could see these small weird white constructs neatly arranged and evenly spaced on a vast concrete block. I frowned, unable to discern what they were. "What are they?" I decided to ask Tim.

"Hmm?" Tim turned as we reached a road leading out of the city. "Those? Those are residential pods. Here, people don't have houses. They're not needed. Since everyone here is a Kmart employee, they simply go home to eat and sleep. That's it."

"Well wh-what about all the interdimensional tourists?"

"There's a hotel somewhere over there." Tim pointed in a vague direction. "But that's not important. _This_ is important." Tim turned me around to look through the window of a building. In it sat thirty kids of varying ages, all of them bald, and all of them hooked up to headsets.

I started to feel sick once again, memories of me lying down in that examining chair at the Arcadia Movement, staring blankly at the vizor that surrounded me bubbling to the surface. "No…" I whispered. "No, no, this can't…"

It was only then that I noticed the person at the front of the room. They were the only one without a headset on and seemed to be silently observing the kids. Tim walked a little closer to the window and then crept down. Like an idiot, I did the same.

I heard a synthesized bell ring from inside the room and watched as each of the kids' headsets were removed from their faces.

"Alright, kids, it's pill time!" The observer beamed, with an almost sickeningly sweet demeanor. Once again, my mind drifted to my time in the Arcadia Movement, and how kind Seria and Kawasaki had been.

_I'll go and inform Sayer of your terrific progress!_   
_  
If you can keep that up, you'll be in excellent shape, buddy!_

"No…" I whined. "What's she giving to them?" I asked, watching as the observer made their way around the room, handing various pills to each of the kids.

"Well they're all different. Basically, just a bunch of pills to kill off any emotions, sexual desires, or anything at all unrelated to what their chosen field is." Tim explained.

The observer went to hand some pills to a pale kid, but the pale kid smacked them out of their hands. "I don't want to take my pills!" they snapped.

"Is that rebellion I hear, number twenty-three?" The observer asked, all of the kindness gone from their voice. "That's not the Kmart way. I think I'll need to see you out in the hall for a moment."

I watched in horror as the child was forcibly removed from their seat, and escorted into the next room, out of my sight. My body shook and I tensed myself in fright as the sound of a gunshot came from inside the room. "Holy shit…"

The observer returned to the room, once again smiling happily. "Alright, back to work everyone." The observer said. I flinched as Tim tapped me on the shoulder. I turned to face him, but Tim simply pointed to another part of the facility, where a worker in white was dragging the child's bloody dead body away.

"You see that?" Tim asked softly. "That's what happens to these kids when they try to make their own choices. You may not have had a choice in your life growing up, but you have one now. These kids, these people, they never had a choice, and they _will never_ have a choice – they're forever trapped in their role. You get a chance to decide what you want your role to be, so tell me: what do you want your role to be?"

I started vacantly at the trail of blood left by the child. "I don't know…"

"You don't know? That's fine. I didn't know what I wanted to do. I devoted my entire life to something that was over in an instant. But through that, I found something I really enjoyed. I don't know if it's something I want to do for the rest of my life, but that doesn't matter. I'm enjoying it now, even with those damn Hufflepuffs. You must have something you enjoy, something that gives you a reason to get out of bed. Something that makes you smile. A purpose, an object, a person."

My eyes veered away from the blood.

_You're more than a friend to me, Tyler! You're… you're my hero…_

_Please, don't ever leave me… Because I need you…_

_I think you're great just the way you are, no matter what he says…!_

_You've been so good to me, and it makes me so upset to know that you don't know what I see in you, and how much I… how much I… love you… I love you, Tyler…_

"I had one of those, but not anymore…" I mumbled.

"Well that's a great opportunity to find a new one. It could be anything you want. Just because you lost your happiness once doesn't mean you can't get it back. And as for your stepdad and that cult guy, if you kill yourself, they win. It means that they had such a profound impact on your life that that's all you are. But you're not. You're more than your past and your present. You have to keep living to show those people that you're not going to let them define you as a person." Tim paused, "It's hard, I know. Trust me. You're not just going to wake up one day and be better. It takes time, but you need to want to be better. You need to think of something to live for."

My eyes readjusted, and I found myself once again staring at the blood on the ground.

_And if you fucking tell anyone about this shit, your mom's gonna get it…_

_It's not just her that I'm after, Tyler. It's you as well. You two hold the keys to the Spirit World. There is no way I'd let you slip through my fingers!_

_It seems you're more trouble than you're worth. Such a shame too. After all, you've got the uniform on and everything… but I don't need people I can't use…_

"I can't…" I said breathily.

"Well if you can't think of what to live for, can you think of what to _die_ for?" Tim asked softly. I turned to him, not sure what he meant, only for him to place a pistol in my hand.

My eyes widened. "Wh-wh-what are-"

"Go on. If you're one hundred percent certain that you have nothing to live for, do it." Tim said simply. I looked down at the pistol and back to Tim. "Oh, and don't worry. I won't be able to bring you back to life if you've got a hole in your head."

I felt my heart beating rigorously in my chest, the pistol sitting loosely in my hand. He'd given it to me. An out. All I'd have to do was put the gun to my head and pull the trigger. It would probably be over in an instant. I could finally die and leave this world forever.

So why then was I looking down at this gun absolutely _horrified_ of it? I'd never dealt with pain well, _obviously_. I just wanted it to all be over. Not just my life, but… the sadness, the anger… _that's_ what I wanted gone. I thought that by trying to kill Joel that that would just absolve me of everything, that his death would mean that everything would just magically work itself out.

But it wouldn't.

Even if I had have succeeded in killing Joel on the Ark Cradle, that wouldn't have fixed anything. As Yusei had said, what Kobi and Joel had done _couldn't_ be fixed. But by that same notion, what _Tim_ had said was true as well: just because I'd been abused, that didn't mean that that had to be the only thing that defined me.

Akiza had supposedly been ridiculed her whole life because of her Psychic powers, and if she wanted, she could have always just been the Black Rose Witch. She didn't have to open up to Yusei or reconnect with her parents if she didn't want to, but she did. I could see it when she Dueled me, throwing me back against the wall with her powers. She didn't _want_ to cause me pain, and she didn't want her Psychic powers to be the only thing that defined her. They were a part of her, yes, but she was more than the Black Rose Witch.

She just wanted to be happy, to be loved.

It was all I wanted too…

"I-I-I…" I stammered. "No, I can't…" I whimpered, forcing the pistol back into Tim's hand.

"Come on, you said you wanted to die, didn't you?"

"I just want to be happy…" I blubbered, tears filling my eyes. "Luna made me happy and I threw that all away…"

"That's good enough for me," Tim shrugged, "but back there at the clothing place, you said you didn't have any friends. You're wrong."

"What do you mean?"

Tim blushed. "N-not that you and I are friends, _dumb-dumb_."

My face broke a smile. "Sorry I called you a control whore before." I apologized.

"That's alright," Tim smiled. "You were staring at the gun for a while. Part of me actually thought you were gonna try and shoot yourself, but the gun isn't even loaded anyway."

I exhaled. "What?"

"You turkey," Tim chuckled, turning to point the pistol at the observer. "See?" Tim pulled the trigger and I covered my ears, a bullet flying through the window and nailing the observer right between the eyes, dropping to the ground dead. "Oh, shit. It actually was. Well, there you go."

Suddenly, sirens started to blare all around us. Searchlights and lazer pointers came down from the airborne blimps and zeroed in on Tim and I. "Wh-what's happening?!" I asked.

"My bad. Shouldn't have killed that teacher." Tim said almost nonchalantly. "This place doesn't take kindly to murder."

I flinched at the sound of another gunshot. I looked around quickly to see a police officer, or whatever the dimensional equivalent was, standing across from us, having seemingly come out of nowhere, holding a rifle in their hands.

The officer fired once more, and Tim hugged me to his chest, protecting me.

I heard more and more gunfire, which meant that there were more officers converging to fire at Tim and I. Tim took me into his arms and I blushed. I had to remind myself that we were being shot at as Tim made a run for it, covering me and protecting me from getting shot at as he ran.

With my head against Tim's chest, I couldn't really see much of what was going on around me. I clung to Tim like my life depended on it, the sounds of the sirens getting louder and louder.

I heard Tim grunt, his movement slowing as I felt his body jerk. "A-are you alright?!" I shouted to him.

"I'm fine." He told me, picking up the pace once more. I gripped Tim tighter and forced my eyes shut, desperately trying to block out the sounds of the sirens and gunfire, my heartbeat thumping with every shot, my body shaking uncontrollably.

My eyes widened, and my heart leapt into my throat as I felt Tim suddenly release his hold on me. I tumbled back into the boat, hitting my head against the side.

I grunted, recoiling and sitting up.

"Sorry, need both hands for this." Tim apologized, a bullet ricocheting off of his shoulder.

"T-Tim…!" I struggled to get to my feet.

"Stay down!" Tim ordered as a searing pain shot through my abdomen, forcing me down. I dropped to the floor of the boat, a throbbing, burning pain underneath me. My heart was beating faster than it ever had. I was sweating like crazy and I could feel a warm liquid start to pool underneath me. Part of me thought I might have pissed myself in fear, but the liquid was red. It was blood, my blood. I'd been shot. "Damn it!" Tim shouted, "Doesn't matter where we go." He said quickly, moving the boat's cylinders about randomly. Tim then placed the crystal ball back in its holder.

The familiar whirring sound began to drown out the sound of gunfire. I groaned involuntarily, more of my blood leaving me as I felt myself start to slip away.

This isn't how I wanted to die.


	3. Dimension

"Tyler…?" Luna asked softly, lightly shaking my shoulder and seemingly bringing me out of my dream.

I groaned slightly, rolling over to look at her, wiping the sleep out of my eyes as Luna stood at the edge of my bed, fidgeting. "What's up?" I asked. When I noticed how pale her face looked, as well as the bags under her eyes, my expression hardened. "Are you alright, Luna?"

"Um…" Luna brought her hands together. "I'm sorry I woke you. It's just… I can't get to sleep."

I sighed. "Are you worried about tomorrow?" I questioned, Luna nodding her head feverishly. "Don't worry, Luna. You'll be able to take that Devack creep down no problem. Remember: you're a Signer, and Ancient Fairy Dragon and the Crimson Dragon chose you to save the Spirit World. They wouldn't have chosen you if they didn't think you could handle it. But I'll be with you every step of the way, I promise." I sighed once more. "Still, it's not fair that I get my own bed in this place when you and Leo have to share one. You can sleep here if you want," I told her, moving to get out under the covers.

"I…" Luna's voice was so nervous and so innocent. "I don't want you to go. Please, I'd… I'd feel better if you were by my side."

"Are you sure?" I asked softly. "I mean, I'm happy to stay, but this bed's really not big enough for the both of us, and you need the rest more than I do-"

Luna nodded. "I-I know, but… as I said, I'd… I'd feel a lot better if you were by my side. Please…" she repeated.

My expression softened and I cooed reassuringly. The poor girl. I didn't know how much help I'd actually _be_ to Luna in the fight against the Dark Signers, but if all I could do was just help her get a good night's rest, then that's what I'd do!

"Of course, Luna," I smiled warmly, lying back down in bed and moving to one side as Luna got under the covers. I shuffled back just a little to give her some more room.

"Thank you, Tyler." Luna smiled back, moving closer to me. "I'm really lucky to have someone like you looking out for me."

"No problem at all, Luna." I continued to smile, trying my best to keep my voice low and soothing, though I probably wasn't doing a good job. "I mean, we're friends, aren't we?"

Luna nodded. "Yeah…" I could feel her warm breath mixing with the cold midnight air, tingling against my face, my brain for some reason almost trying to rationalize something, as though I wasn't supposed to be here, but I was. "But I'd like to be… more than that…" Luna's voice had lost its innocence. There was a look in her eyes as well. One I'd never seen before.

I gasped, feeling Luna's hand against my chest. I looked down at myself, clothed in what Tim had bought for me, and even though my brain once again tried to rationalize it, I knew that this wasn't really happening. That this _never_ happened. "This… this isn't real…" I muttered.

"What do you mean?" Luna asked, her voice cool and sultry, so unlike her.

"These clothes, they… I should be…" I trailed off, looking back at Luna. "This never happened…"

"But isn't this what you want?" she asked.

I nodded. "M-more than anything, but-"

"Then come home." Luna edged even closer to me, pressing her lips against mine.

* * *

I woke up with a start, adrenaline rushing through my body.

I instinctively felt the need to put a hand to my lips, but I couldn't. I felt dizzy, like my world was spinning. I couldn't place myself. I closed my eyes, trying to slow my breathing.

Luna…

"Cheese and rice, Tyler. You almost scared me there." I heard Tim say. I opened my eyes to see him get up out of a director's chair that he was sitting in. It was only then that I realized I was restrained, lying down on an operating table in what appeared to be a dingy garage. I looked down at myself. My shirt was gone, the side of my abdomen bandaged up. I remembered I'd been shot and I started to panic. "Whoa, hey, take it easy…" Tim cautioned.

"What happened?" I breathed. "Where are we? What's going on?!"

Tim smiled. "It's alright. You're safe. We're in Dimension C-693. After escaping from those Kmartians in Dimension K-22M, I brought you here to get you fixed up. You know my friend I was telling you about? The crazy old scientist? He lives here. Well, a _version_ of him lives here. I explained the situation to him, and he said I could use this place to patch you up while he was out running errands with his grandkid." Tim licked his lips. "You lost quite a lot of blood, and this place ain't a hospital. I couldn't risk giving you any blood without knowing your blood type, so I had to improvise."

"I-improvise?" I asked.

"I pumped you with this stuff called Turbulent Juice, which seemed to do the trick." Tim walked over to the table, freeing me from my restraints. Tim then walked over to a desk as I sat up, handing me a mirror and a tube of liquid from atop it. The tube read ' _Turbulent Juice_ ', the underside reading ' _Dosage: apply generously to make things purer, stronger_.'

"Wh-what…?" I asked weakly, not really comprehending what I read.

"You're looking pretty good now, hey? No one'll be able to tell you'd died."

I looked at my face in the mirror, inspecting it. Like before, I could hardly believe the eyes staring back at me were my own, but this time it wasn't because I was horrified or upset. I was surprised and overjoyed. My eyes seemed to be brimming with life. I touched my face, and realized there were significantly less blemishes, and that my face wasn't as round or fat as I'd let it become in recent months. In fact, as I looked down at myself once more, I realized how… _good_ I actually looked. I could actually see _muscles_ on my chest, and I seemed to have lost most of the fat around my stomach I'd put on as well. It reminded me of how I used to look back in my Team Satisfaction days.

"Th-th-th-this is amazing!" I stammered, feeling myself up and down my body.

Tim cringed a little. "Yeah, it seems the only thing we weren't able to fix was the stutter. I don't know if that'll go away with time or not. In normal circumstances, they don't – you're stuck with them. I mean, some kids do grow out of them, and some worsen or improve during puberty, but you didn't get your stutter in a normal way, you weren't born with it, or, you know, this isn't normal is what I'm saying. It might take time, it might not, we'll just have to wait and see." Tim sighed. "But I can teach you some speech techniques if you want, to help improve your fluency. There's airy-speech, beat-talk, using filler words…"

I wasn't really listening. I was too busy looking myself over. "Oh, nah, it's fine." I ran my fingers through my hair, thicker, stronger, longer and much more prominent. "This is fantastic…!" I continued to gush. However as my eyes were drawn to my pants, they widened and I turned to Tim. "Wait, I just thought of something. Those clothes you bought for us, you paid using money from another Dimension, right? Doesn't that mean that even though we got away that they can still go to that Dimension and-"

Tim shook his head. "You've got nothing to worry about. My friend took care of everything while you were sleeping."

"H-how long was I out for?" I dared to ask.

Tim shrugged. "Not that long. About a week."

My eyes widened. "A week? I was unconscious for a _week_?"

"Yeah. Don't worry though. You're perfectly fine." Tim yawned and stretched his arms out behind his back. "Anyway, now that you're awake, we can continue on with our multiversal road trip. I've got loads more to show you-"

"No way!" I snapped. "If babies getting their balls cut off is just the tip of the iceberg, I don't want to see the rest of the ice. That shit was _insane_!" I sighed. "Look, Tim… I'm not stupid; I know what you were trying to show me. That people have it way worse than me. I… I knew that already. I've _known_ that since forever. There are people that have, you know, _actual_ problems to deal with. Diabetes, AIDS, cancer… infantile genital mutilation, but you didn't need to show me that last one. I know I shouldn't be down on myself all the time, I want to move on from what happened, I really do, but…" I sighed, "It's hard…" I shook my head. "I don't need to see any more weird shit. Please, just… take me home… I want to go home…"

Tim sighed a lengthy sigh, turning away from me and walking back over to the desk. He stayed silent for quite some time. It wasn't lost on me that I was utterly and completely at Tim's mercy. If he wanted me to stay with him forever, if he chose not to take me home, then of course _I'd_ have no choice but to stay. I had no idea what Dimension I came from, after all, and I had no clue about the world outside of the garage. I wouldn't be able to survive on my own. I needed Tim, but more than that I needed Tim to take me home.

Tim sighed once more, but still faced away from me as he spoke. "Listen, Tyler, I usually get involved in things of my own accord, and normally it's just me. I'm not trying to push things on people, or make them change their worldviews. I only did what I did with you 'cause I wanted to help you see that life was worth living. I didn't expect things to go how they did in the end. Basically, what I'm trying to say is… I'm sorry for getting you shot, and if you really just want me to take you home, then… I'll take you home."

"R-really?" I couldn't tell if Tim was joking or not, so I had to ask.

Tim nodded, turning back to me. "But you gotta promise me you're not gonna try and kill yourself anymore. If you've got a problem, then you've got to work through it. You can't just pussy out and end it. Luna wouldn't want that." Tim smiled. My eyes widened and Tim chuckled. "You were talking in your sleep before. I heard you say her name a couple times."

"I-I had a dream about her…" I said, feeling my face get a little hotter. I licked my lips as I remembered the kiss in the dream, the feeling of it as real as any kiss or moment I'd shared with her.

"Yeah, I gathered that." Tim stretched his arms out. "She's your ex, right? The one who broke it off with you because you tried to kill your brother?"

" _Stepbrother_." I affirmed. "But, yeah…" I shook my head. "I don't know what's going to happen when I get back. I've been gone for a little over a week, but…" I trailed off. This whole thing was far beyond my comprehension. As far as I knew, my visits to the Spirit World, the Underworld, and the Ark Cradle all took place within the same Dimension, and if that was the case, did that then mean that there were multiple different versions of the Spirit World and the like, each existing within their own Dimension? If so, then that truly meant that the scope of the world, my Dimension, was far greater than I could have ever thought possible, and my understanding of it was therefore almost non-existent. A thought suddenly popped into my head, which I couldn't not verbalize. "Wait… is time… does time move differently in different Dimensions?"

Tim sighed. "That's a big can of worms you're opening there, but mostly, no. In general terms, time in this world is relatively the same across each Dimension, but there are always exceptions to the rule. When you move outside the Human World though, each other world has its own, I guess what they constitute as time. It's difficult to really explain it because time in the Human World, in terms of seconds, minutes, hours or whatever, is a human construct. Gods measure time differently because they have their own interpretation of time. Each World does really. Do you know about the Nine Worlds?"

I _did_ know about the Nine Worlds. It was a term I'd heard Rex Goodwin use once before, and aside from that, one that Taze and I had discovered in our youth whilst undertaking a homework assignment for school regarding mythology, which I guess now wasn't really mythology.

"A little…" I answered sheepishly. "I know there's the Human World, the Spirit World, and the Underworld – the other two I've actually gone to as well, but I don't know about the others."

"That's alright. The point I was getting at is the same amount of time has passed in your Dimension as it has in this one. So you've basically been gone for a little over a week."

A week in my Dimension. I wondered if anyone even knew I'd disappeared. Seria probably did, but only because we lived together. She might have told Yusei and the others, or reported me as a missing person to the Public Security Bureau, but did the others even want me back? Did they even _care_?

_You can do whatever you like because_ _I am done helping you_ _!_   
_  
_ _You told me you'd never do anything to hurt me! Well, what do you call teaming up with the bad guys to destroy the city and kill us?!_

_Yeah! You hurt my sister! Y-you mean poopface!_

I sighed. I'd made too many mistakes to be able to come back from and repair the relationships between me and my friends, and even forgetting the rest of my friends for the moment, I couldn't just come back to New Domino City and show up at the apartment out of the blue, especially with how things ended between Seria and me.

I sighed once more, closing my eyes as I tried to fight back the unease in the pit of my stomach. If I had never have gone with Yusei to that damned Momentum Express Development Organization, none of this would have happened. If I could just go back, I thought.

Wait…

"Um… Tim, i-is there a way that we could… I don't know, if interdimensional travel is possible, then is time travel possible too?"

"Time travel?"

I nodded. "Everything started to go wrong when I decided to join Yusei to go and investigate this place called the Momentum Express Development Organization. If I could just go back-"

"No way." Tim interrupted. "No time travel. That shit gets outta hand way too quickly. If you wanna travel through time, go to Craigh na Dun or get a Time-Turner. But _I'm_ not getting involved in any of that wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff. Too much can go wrong."

My heart sank. I didn't want to do it alone, and I assumed that with Tim having experience with interdimensional travel that he'd also have experience with time travel. It sounded like he did, but I thought that, you know, he'd be able to help me. To hear that he couldn't, or wouldn't… I just wasn't sure what to do.

"B-but then what am I supposed to do about my friends?" I whined.

"I don't know. Did you ever apologize to them about what happened?"

I felt as though my heart stopped for a moment. "N-not really…" I answered truthfully.

Tim quizzically raised an eyebrow. "'Not really'?"

"W-well, I… I mean, I tried to. I apologized to Akiza, and I tried to apologize to Luna, but she wouldn't even hear me out. And it probably wasn't even the right time for personal stuff. The Signers were trying to save New Domino City from being destroyed, but… I just… I couldn't stand to look at Joel, knowing what I knew and what I'd been through. I left, and… I haven't spoken to any of my friends since then… except for Jack, but _that_ didn't end well either…"

"Then you know what you have to do then, don't you? Apologize, _dumb-dumb_!"

"It's not that easy!" I insisted. "I had an argument with Jack just before I killed myself, and as for Luna, she made it very clear that she wanted nothing to do with me. If she wanted to talk to me, she would have tried calling or texting me or something, but she didn't even do that!"

"Well did _you_ ever think about calling her?"

" _Yes_! Every _fucking_ day!" I snapped. "The only reason I _didn't_ call her was because I thought if I _did_ try and call, she'd just not answer or ream me out. She didn't want anything to do with me _then_ and she probably won't want anything to do with me _now_ , which sucks 'cause…" I sighed, my tone even more whiny and strained, "I'm still in love with her…"

Tim looked at me for a few seconds before turning and walking over to a laundry basket, picking out a faded blue shirt and tossing it to me. "Put that on. Here's what we're gonna do: I'm gonna leave a note for my mate here, then I'm gonna take you back home, then you're gonna buy some presents or whatever to help smooth things over with your friends, and _then_ you're gonna invite them over and sort your shit out."

"But it's been a _week_. I can't just show up like _this_ with no explanation! They'll have too many questions, and I-"

"Just tell them what happened." Tim cut me off. "That you made a stupid mistake, and you're sorry. If these guys are really your friends, I'm sure if you apologize and you're honest about everything, they'll probably forgive you. And if they don't, well then at least you'll know, and you can stop thinking about what might have happened or how they _might_ be feeling." Tim sighed. "Look: I'll stick around for a little bit, and help you explain everything to your friends."

My eyes widened. "R-really? You would? I-I'd really appreciate that. Thank you." I smiled, touched that Tim was willing to help me out so much.

"No worries…" he shrugged, "it's the least I can do for almost getting you killed again."

"I think you've already done enough…" I said, looking down at my chest. "I'm just not sure I'll be able to keep myself in as good a shape as this."

Tim grabbed a notepad on the table and jotted something down on it. "You don't need to worry about that, trust me. The Turbulent Juice is gonna take care of all that." He told me. "Anyway, that's enough jibber-jabber. In another few hours, the sun will set. Put that shirt on and follow me."

I did as Tim asked and quickly put the shirt on. It was tight and didn't fit me very well, but I didn't really care. I wouldn't be wearing it for very long, I thought. Besides, the clothing wasn't important. I had to think about what I was going to say to Luna, Seria, Yusei and the others. Sure, the fact that Tim was coming with me comforted me, but that didn't change the fact that I was the one at fault, and I honestly wasn't sure whether Tim being with me or not would really change anything. Tim did have a point though. I had to see my friends _and_ the one I loved one last time and just talk to them about what happened. If Luna and the others didn't want anything to do with me after that, I'd still be upset, sure, but at least I'd know for certain that everything was over between us, and not pointlessly wonder about what could have been.

I followed Tim out of the garage and into a well-kept backyard, the dimension-hopping boat sitting in the sun, light shining through the crystal ball. "I had to move the boat out into the backyard so my mate could park his ship in the garage when he gets back." Tim explained. "Anyway, you all set?"

I put a hand to my lips. "Yeah, it's just… I don't know what I'm gonna say to everybody. My roommate knew that I was going to try and kill myself, and it's been a week since then. She might have issued a missing persons report-"

"If she has, we'll deal with that, okay? Don't worry. Just think about what you need to say to your friends." Tim hopped into the boat and I followed him. My eyes stayed on Tim as he fiddled with the cylinders, but my mind continued to rack itself on what I was going to say and do when I got back to my Dimension. "🎶Bing, bang, bone. Let's get you home!🎶" Tim said, once again in a sing-song sort of way.

Electricity circled the boat, distorting my view of the backyard and resulting suburban area around me. Sunlight continued to move through the crystal ball and cylinders, catching and then projecting light in various colors all around the backyard, once again reminding me of Infinity.

I grabbed onto the railing of the boat for a moment and felt myself get a little shock. I closed my eyes, fighting against the overwhelming feeling of vertigo, and tried to visualize myself back in New Domino City. I would arrive back at the apartment with Tim, bouquet in hand which I'd give to Seria, and then I'd apologize for what I'd put her through. I'd ask for her forgiveness, and, hopefully, she'd accept. Then, I'd try and get in touch with Luna, Akiza, Leo, Yusei and Jack – try and explain the notes I left for them, and attempt to get through it all without stuttering. I'd apologize in person for everything that happened on the Ark Cradle and promise that I'd do whatever I could to make it up to them. Then, if I had to, I'd get on my knees and beg Luna to take me back, even though I know I didn't, and still really don't, deserve her.

I imagined holding Luna in my arms as I felt a pressure pinning me to the boat and I sighed once more, feeling my senses fade away.

* * *

"Well, here we are," I heard Tim say, "I told ya I'd get ya back safely."

I grunted as I opened my eyes and stood up, looking around and finding Tim and myself standing in the boat at the shoreline, below a Combat Lane in a familiar city. "Yeah… you did…" I said breathlessly, turning to Tim. "Thanks, Tim." I smiled.

"You're welcome." Tim smiled back, his pearly white teeth almost blinding me. Tim then turned back to the boat. "So have you thought about what you're gonna say to your friends?"

"Y-yeah…" I muttered, "I mean, I have, but there's so much I want to say. The first thing I'll probably have to explain is my speech impediment if it takes me more than five seconds to say something."

"Right…" Tim said, but the warmth of his tone was gone as Tim looked at the center of the boat.

"I-is something wrong?" I asked.

Tim fiddled with the central components of the boat, lowering and raising various cylinders. Suddenly, Tim smacked his hand down against the side of the boat. "Damn it…! This thing's outta juice."

"Y-you mean-"

"Yeah, looks like I'm stuck here. I guess all the dimension-hopping screwed with the MD5 hash Majoogily Interdimensionalizer."

"What's that?"

"I dunno. I just made that up. But I'm sure everything's fine. The boat wouldn't have let us come here if it didn't have enough of whatever the Hell powers it to get us to where we wanted to be. Probably. It just means I might be staying here for a little longer than I thought I would." Tim sighed once more. "I should have asked my mate to take a look at the boat when I had the chance. I don't even know what the Hell powers this thing. I thought the crystal ball did, but…" Tim trailed off.

I felt terrible. I mean, don't get me wrong, I was glad to be back, but it wasn't right that Tim had to be stuck here. "I'm sorry, man. I'd offer you a place to stay, but as I said, I… had an argument with my roommate before I left, so even if I sort things out with her, I don't know if she's gonna be okay with an extra dude crashing at her place. It would be kind of a dick move if I just showed up and asked if you could stay after everything that's happened. I still need to smooth things over with everyone." I swallowed. "But, if I _do_ smooth things over with everyone, my friend Yusei might be able to fix the boat. He's hella smart. He developed this program called Fortune, which, well I don't need to go into any of the details, but if anyone can fix the boat, it's him."

"Alright then, let's go!" Tim hyped as he got out of the boat, putting the crystal ball into his pocket. I stepped out of the boat and brushed myself down, turning back to Tim as I heard him grunt. My eyes widened as I saw him holding the boat above his head like it was nothing.

"What the Hell are you doing?!" I asked.

"Uh, I'm taking this with us – duh!"

"T-Tim, that's crazy. You can't carry that boat around with you!"

"Uh, _yeah_ I can. I can deadlift dragons. Carryin' this thing through the city would be nothin' for me."

"That's not what I mean! It's just…" I sighed, not wanting to argue with Tim but doing so anyway. "Look: if I show up at Yusei's with the boat unannounced, he's gonna be thinking a lot of things, and probably mostly that I'm just trying to use him. I've only got one chance to make things right with him and everyone else, and I really don't want to screw this up. Besides, if the boat's out of p-power, no one else is gonna be able to use it to go anywhere, even if they _did_ somehow know how to operate it. I think it's best if we leave it here for the time being, and once I've sorted everything out with my friends, _then_ I'll be able to ask Yusei to help us. And I promise that that'll be the first thing I do once everything's taken care of."

Tim's eyes narrowed. "You _do_ realize that people can still use this as an actual boat, right?"

"No one's gonna steal it, Tim. There might have been a time when people would have, but things are different now. Trust me, we can leave the boat here, I'll try and smooth things over with everyone, I'll get Yusei to look at the boat, he'll be able to fix it 'cause he's awesome, and you'll be able to go back to your Dimension. It's all gonna be okay." I assured Tim, as well as myself.

Tim shrugged, setting the boat down just out of reach of the water. "Alright, you know more about this place than I do."

I pointed up from the shoreline to where the bridge intersected with the mainland. "There's a Rehabilitation Center a few blocks from here. If they let us use the phone, I can call us a taxi into town or get someone else who might be able to come and get us."

"Lead the way."

So I did. Tim followed behind as I made my way into what I remembered to be the Satellite Sector. There were people walking around that I'd never seen before, and plenty more Security officers patrolling the area than I last remembered, but I didn't pay it much thought. That is until I reached the Rehabilitation Center, or, more accurately, where it was _supposed_ to be.

In its place stood a police station. I knew that because there was a sign just outside which read ' _Kōban. Civilians to be admitted entry by Sector Security only_ '.

"What the Hell…?" I whispered.

"Where's the place?" Tim asked.

I cleared my throat. "H-here. It's supposed to be here, but… it's not."

"Yeah, I can see that."

"S-something's not right." I stammered.

" _Clearly_." Tim deadpanned, grabbing me by the shoulders and moving me around. "Turn around, bright eyes. Is this your home? 'Cause if it's not, we've got a problem. Also, you've got a lot of drones flying around. Like, more than necessary."

"D-Drones?" I looked around, noticing for the first time a fleet of drones hovering through the air.

I turned back to the Rehabilitation Center-turned-police station, trying to make sense of it all. The Rehabilitation Center was here the day I took my life, and it wasn't as if it was just the signage that changed and they had to relocate some officers into the building. No, the entire building was a different shape and everything, and there were _certainly_ no drones patrolling the Satellite last time either. The small, minute details that I'd shaken off before were beginning to fit together like a puzzle. But then just like that, the puzzle in my mind shattered, because I saw something, _someone_ that my mind wasn't prepared to see.

Crow Hogan.

_Yusei… you, Jack, and Tyler are my brothers!_

_We don't know where Bruno is, but… Crow… He… he's dead…_

_Crow was literally one-in-a-million, and I'm… I'm thankful that I even got to know him…_

For a moment, I couldn't believe it was really him. How _could_ it be? He _died_! I went to his _funeral_! I saw his _body_! But there he was, peering out from behind a dilapidated building, sitting atop his Duel Runner, the Blackbird. He had the same dark gray eyes, the same orange hair, the same clothes on that he used to wear, it _had_ to be him. Crow turned and I got a better look at his face, noticing the absence of the M-shaped Criminal Mark, the one that he used to have on his forehead – the first Criminal Mark he ever got. The other ones, the dot on his forehead and the ones below his eyes were still present on his face.

"What's going on…?" I whispered, my mouth dropping open as I started to shake, Tim no doubt feeling it as he gripped my shoulders.

And then, as I continued to stare at him, eyes wide in panic and confusion, our eyes met. I didn't know what to do. Tim obviously noticed something was up because I heard him ask me "Hey, you okay?"

Crow's eyes lit up as he saw me. He looked around for a moment before smiling and beckoning me over. Once again, I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to stand in the middle of the district looking like an idiot, which I probably did, but I was just so confused by what was going on.

I was reminded of my run-in with Okita and Liquid, and how I thought they'd perished with the Arcadia Movement. Maybe it was the same with Crow, I thought. Maybe he _hadn't_ died against the Diablo.

I quickly shook my head at the absurdity of the thought, reminding myself that I _went to his funeral and saw his body_. Something strange was obviously going on, and against my better judgment, I went over to him, Crow getting off of his Duel Runner. "Hey, Tyler! It's good to see you again…!" Crow greeted with a smile and a handshake, but he sounded almost as surprised to see me as I was with him, which of course couldn't be true. "Man, I haven't seen you in over a year. I almost didn't recognize ya! How've you been?"

"Um… good… Crow…" I lied, due to my present predicament. I found it difficult not to stare at the blank spot on his forehead where his M-shaped Criminal Mark should have been. "How have you b…" I felt a block coming so I stopped, putting a curled finger to my lips to try and hide my facial spasm and squinted for a moment. "b-b-been…?" I forced out. "How have you been?" I repeated, damning myself.

Crow sighed. "I tell you what, I've seen better days!"

"Ah, so this is one of your friends, eh?" I heard Tim say rather loudly, giving me a fright. I didn't even know he walked over with me. Tim smiled, giving Crow a hard handshake. "Professor Tim Ihansha, winner of the nineteen ninety-four Triwizard Tournament and seventy-fourth Hunger Games. Incredibly attractive and _always_ erect. How do you do?"

"Wow, er… strong grip…" Crow said nervously, turning back to me. "So this guy's a friend of yours?"

"Yeah, man, we go _way_ back. We've known each other for, like, a week. He was sleeping for most of it though." Tim announced.

"That's cool. Any friend of Tyler's is a friend of mine." Crow smiled, turning to me. "It's a good thing I ran into you. I was on my way back home actually. You should come with me, what do you say? I'm sure Amanda, Taren, and Frank would love to see you again. Eric too."

"A-Amanda…? And…" I trailed, unable to put any faces to the names that Crow had mentioned. "Y-yeah, okay…"

" _Awesome_!" Crow smiled. "I knew you were still cool. Oh yeah, Shinji and Sesu said they might stop by as well…"

I blinked quickly. Two _more_ names I didn't recognize. My retarded brain was still trying to understand what exactly was going on. I sighed. It was like the amnesia thing all over again. "O-okay…"

"It'll be just like old times!" Crow's happy expression left him for a moment. "Except Damon won't be with us. He… was arrested last year, thrown into The Facility." Crow shook his head. "Sorry to throw that on you like that. Anyway, let's get goin'!" Crow looked around for something, and then turned back to me. "Oh, hey, where's your Duel Runner?"

My Duel Runner had been destroyed a year ago by a Ghost posing as Jack. The Crow _I_ knew knew that, but this one obviously didn't. I tried to quickly think of something I could say, "Uh… um, um, um, um, um…"

"Oh, wait, don't tell me. Security seized it from you, right? Don't worry, we'll head back to our place, meet up with the guys and then sneak into the Security storage locker to get it back." Crow hopped back onto his Duel Runner and moved forward in the seat. "Anyway, climb aboard, Tyler."

"We just need a quick sidebar." Tim said, yanking me away from Crow and pushing me against the wall. "What the Hell's the matter with you?!" Tim asked. "You said that guy was your friend and you're looking at him like he's an AIDS carrier or something!"

I shook my head quickly. "N-no, you don't understand." I continued breathing heavily, glancing toward Crow to make sure he was far enough away so that I could say what I said next. "He's dead…" I whispered.

Tim's eyes widened. "What? Are you sure? Did he bite you? Are you infected?"

"H-he's not a zombie, Tim!" I hissed. "I went to his funeral. I remember it, but… everything that he's saying about Amanda and Frank and Damon… I don't know who _any_ of those people are…" I exhaled lengthily, my difficulty to comprehend what was happening showing clearly on my face. "Tim, this isn't my Dimension. I have no idea where we are or what's going on. This is all just so fucked…"

Tim grunted, moving his head to the side. "I'll take your word that something's wrong. After all, you know more about this place than I do-"

"Are you listening to me? This _isn't_ my Dimension…! You've taken me to the _wrong_ _place_ …!" I told him, Tim gripping my chin and pushing my cheeks together, forcing my lips to pucker.

"Hey, _don't_ interrupt me. And _don't_ tell me that I've done something wrong." Tim warned, the joviality gone from his voice. "I wasn't the one that committed suicide 'cause my girlfriend dumped me."

"How dare-"

"Shut up…!" Tim said quickly, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "Listen: we'll figure this out, okay? Let's just do our best to not cause a scene. We'll go with this guy, we'll figure out what his situation is. Who knows? He might be able to help with the boat. I couldn't even get you out of here anyway since the boat's dead. Just be totally un-Tyler and try and keep cool, okay?"

I nodded quickly, barely able to force out a "Mhm…" with Tim pulling his hand away. Tim's pleasant smile returned as he directed me back over to Crow.

"Is everything okay?" Crow asked.

"Yep. Dandy as a… dandy… thing, I don't know, let's just go." Tim grunted.

Crow patted the space behind him and I slinked in underneath, gripping just above his waist. "Tim, was it? I-"

"Don't worry about me. Just go where you want to go. I'll keep up. A run'll be pretty good exercise."

"What? Are you serious?" Crow asked.

"D-don't… don't question it, Crow. Tim just does what he wants." I muttered.

"Alright," Crow shrugged. "Don't say I didn't warn ya!" Crow revved his Duel Runner and then the two of us took off, heading to a place I knew nothing about, with a stranger who happened to look like my dead friend.


	4. Blue Light

I was quiet the whole ride over to Crow's place, angry and depressed at how quickly things had changed and gone astray. I just wanted to go back home and see my friends again. Instead, I'd been dragged into an alternate Dimension where Crow Hogan, one of my friends who'd died in my Dimension, was still living in this one. He'd invited me back with him to his place, and part of me was so concerned about what I was going to say to these strangers he'd talked about that I had never met before. The other part of me was amazed at how Tim was able to keep up with us on foot. Literally, he ran with us side-by-side the whole way.

I'd lost track of where we were going, the layout of the Old Satellite District from my Dimension not at all matching up with wherever the Hell we were in _this_ Dimension. Crow pulled up beside a building I'd never seen before, a tiny little place tucked between a garage and a vacant lot of land, trash strewn about on the ground. The place had several wooden supports and a six-step wooden staircase leading up to the front.

I had so many questions, but no idea how or where to begin. I also didn't want to talk at all because I hated my speech impediment. Luckily though, I had Tim around to help, as he didn't know anything about the Dimension either, and hopefully could act as my mouthpiece.

"So, what is this place called?" Tim asked, me getting off of Crow's Duel Runner. I looked over at Tim. He hadn't even broken a sweat from all his running.

"We're in the Commons area, and I guess, as residents, that would make us Commoners." Crow explained. No mention of the Satellite or the B.A.D. area, I noted.

"Okay, and what about that city off in the distance?" Tim pointed to a large skyscraper that towered over every other building in sight.

"You mean Neo Domino?"

" _N-Neo_?!" I blurted without even thinking.

Crow looked back at me. "Yeah… Is… Is everything alright, Tyler? You're a little bit, I dunno… Is everything okay?"

"I-I-" I stammered.

"Everything's fine." Tim assured Crow, "Anyway, tell us about the city."

"Well, really, this whole place is Neo Domino City, but long ago we were divided into two different areas: the Tops and the Commons."

The Tops rang a bell with me. I knew it as the place where the wealthiest in New Domino City lived. Where Leo and Luna lived. Of course, I wasn't sure how much that statement held true here. Still, it sounded like, in this Dimension, the relationship between the Commons and the Tops was similar to the relationship between the Satellite and New Domino City.

"Could it just be a name change then…?" I whispered to myself, immediately disregarding that notion. After all, Crow was standing right in front of me. I wondered what else was different between this Dimension and mine, but more than that…

The version of me in this Dimension.

Another version of me _had_ to exist because Crow knew me and we seemed to be friends, so where was I? Would this version of me come back here, and what would I say when he showed up? What would happen? Would it be like one of those movies where if our eyes met then the universe would collapse?

I sighed, shaking my head, forcing myself to put that out of my mind for the moment. Tim and I followed Crow up the steps as he continued. "Every day here is a struggle to survive. We make do with what we've got, but it's not easy, especially with Sector Security running around. The Topsiders on the other hand have everything. They live lives of luxury, and to them, we're like dirt beneath their feet. If a Commoner is spotted in the Tops or even seen _talking_ with a Topsider, they get taken to the Facility and branded as a criminal." Crow turned back to Tim and me, pressing his fingers against the Criminal Marks on his face. "That's how I got these."

"Oh, so this is one of _those_ places? The one percent controls the ninety-nine percent…" Tim muttered as Crow led us inside. "Yeah, I visited a place like that not too long ago. Actually, it was right before I met _this_ guy. Yeah…"

"Hey everyone!" Crow shouted as I froze once more, greeted by the faces of strangers. There were three kids; a blue-eyed burgundy-haired girl, a purple-eyed green-haired boy, and a rosy-cheeked blue-haired boy.

"Crow's back!" the girl shouted.

"Hey Crow! Hey Tyler!" the rosy-cheeked boy greeted.

"H-hello." I greeted back, looking down at the faces of the kids.

"We got you guys some presents!" Crow grinned.

"Wow! _Really_?!" Amanda shouted, Crow giving the little girl a can of tuna and some cards. Crow then gave the two boys some cards as well.

Crow turned back to me. "As you can see, Tyler, not much has changed around here… Just like you remember it!"

"Y-yeah…" I shivered. Crow was completely wrong of course. _Everything_ had changed and _nothing_ was how I remembered it. That said though, I was reminded of the hangout of mine and Crow's former Duel Gang, Team Satisfaction, and while that place wasn't exactly run down, it had a very drab and gloomy feel to it. This place however, was very quaint and homely. No maps of the different territories or old tables and chairs. Instead there was an old CRT television sitting atop a coffee table, several old couches and a dusty keyboard propped over on a stool.

Crow must have noticed that I was staring at the keyboard, 'cause he patted me on the back and said "You can play that later if you want."

"I'll get started on dinner!" Amanda chirped.

Crow turned to Tim and me. "When was the last time you guys ate?"

"I-" Once again, Tim cut me off, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"A while ago for this one. It's probably a good idea for him to eat."

"T-Tim, I-"

"You don't want a stomach ulcer, do you?" Tim asked me softly.

"N-no…" I mumbled.

"Right, so just sit back and play the keyboard or whatever. Let the kid make you dinner or whatever."

"I can't even _play_ the keyboard…" I whispered to Tim.

"What do you mean you can't play the keyboard? It's just chords and scales." Tim dismissed. "A _baby_ can play the keyboard." He said, the door at the back of the room opening as a blue and purple-haired young man came through, wearing a Turbo Dueling outfit.

"Hey, Shinji." Crow greeted.

" _You_ sure took your time, Crow!" he said.

"Sorry, I took a little detour," Crow smiled, "as you can see…"

"Good to see you again, Tyler." Shinji smiled, "The kids've really missed you."

I felt my face heat up. "Uh, hey… man… how's it… g-going?"

Shinji sighed. "Well, actually, it's kinda weird that you guys come back here now after what's just happened."

"What do you mean?" Crow asked.

Shinji opened his mouth to explain, but then sighed. "I think it's just best if you guys come through." he motioned. Crow, Tim and myself were led into the kitchen by Shinji, my eyes widening as I saw another group of people I didn't know: A red and green-haired boy wearing an orange shirt, baggy green pants and a white jacket. An indigo-haired girl wearing a red jacket and a skirt that showed way too much of her legs, at least for someone her age. A yellow and brown-haired boy in what looked to be a really posh school uniform. A very young child in a light blue hoodie, gripping a stuffed bear in their hands. And finally, someone who seemed to be my own age, a young man with curly black hair, solidly built, wearing a loose-fitting green T-shirt and shorts. "These guys were getting harassed by Security, and so we jumped in to help them." Shinji's eyes paused on Tim. "Oh… who are you?"

I quickly turned to Tim. "Oh, yeah… guys this is-"

"Professor Tim Ihansha. I met Tyler here out on the road, and we've been travel buddies for about a week." Tim smiled.

" _Professor_?" Shinji asked, "Are you a Topsider then?"

"Well, I'm a top bloke. But nah, I'm not a Topsider. What's my job have to do with anything anyway?"

"Sorry, it's just that… out here, when someone says they've got a job like a professor or doctor, I get a little anxious. _Those_ kinds of people live in the Tops." Shinji said.

"You don't need to worry about me, mate. I'm not from around here. But… if I can make an observation, it seems like you guys _really_ hate the Tops." Tim verbalized the obvious.

"Of course we do," Crow spoke. "Those Topsider bastards stole Turbo Duels from us…"

I could feel a couple pairs of eyes staring at me. The girl in the red jacket and the young man in the green shirt. "What do you mean?" I asked.

Crow turned to me with wide eyes and seemed almost stumped by my question. "Wh… you kn-what?"

"What?" I could feel my body starting to shake. I shut my eyes tight and, in a moment of weakness, asked "Look, th-this is all great and everything, but would any of you know where Yusei is?"

"Yusei?" Crow asked, tilting his head to the side, "What's a 'Yusei'?"

I froze. It was suddenly made clear to me that Yusei didn't exist in this Dimension. Or, at the very least, no one knew who he was, which meant there'd be no way for Tim and me to get the boat fixed.

"I-I-I need some air…!" I said, moving away from the group. There were too many people, none of whom I really knew. I could feel those suicidal thoughts and impulses start to build inside me, and as I left the kitchen, ignoring one of the kids' questions, I headed outside, slamming my head several times against the closed garage door.

The garage door vibrated several times as I smacked my head against it, before I was grabbed and pinned to it, my eyes coming face-to-face with Tim's. "What the Hell are you doing?" he hissed.

My entire body was shaking. "I can't do this! It's too much! There're too many people! I don't know anyone here! Yusei doesn't exist! We can't fix the boat-" I was silenced as Tim punched me in the stomach, Turbulent Juice spewing from my mouth as I dropped to the ground.

Tim stared down at me, cracking his neck and then his knuckles. "You need to calm down. You get stressed so easily. So there's a couple people in there that you don't know. So what? That's no reason to bash your head against the freakin' garage! And as for the boat, we'll find another way to fix it. Just calm down, okay?" Tim broke a smile and helped me up, though I could barely breathe from his punch. "Now, I'm gonna go and check on the boat, make sure it's still there. Get back in there and just… I don't know, be quiet and don't talk. I'll think of what we need to go and do next once I've checked on the boat. Don't let anyone know that you're not from this Dimension. Think you can do that?"

"I-I-I think so…" I wheezed, sucking in as much air as I could.

"Bada bang bang…!" Tim winked, and with that, he walked off, hands in his pockets. So carefree and confident.

I kept breathing heavily, trying to regulate it, before heading back inside. Amanda rushed up to me as I came back through the door. "Tyler, are you okay?!" she asked.

"Yeah." I nodded, lying. "I'm gonna go back in there now." I told her, pointing to the kitchen as I walked toward it. I made my way back in, ignoring the stares I got from Crow and Shinji as I made my way to the back.

The girl sitting at the other end of the table sighed. "Why the Hell are we just sitting here? We should be out looking for Zuzu."

"Calm down, Celina." The red and green-haired boy said.

"'Calm down'?!" Celina asked, "She could be in danger, don't you care?!"

"Of course I care. But if we go out there now, there's a good chance we'll get caught by Sector Security."

"Fine. Stay here if you want, Yuya, but I'm going." Celina told him.

"If she's going, then _I'm_ going!" the yellow and brown-haired boy said, getting up from the table as he and Celina walked out of the kitchen and out the front door I'd come in from.

"Celina! Sylvio! _Wait_!" Yuya called as he rushed over to them, only to have the door slammed in his face. Yuya sighed.

"Hey, Tyler. Where'd that friend of yours go?" Crow asked.

"He's gone to go check on something. I don't know when he'll be back." I told him.

"Alright, as long as he stays out of trouble." Crow nodded, "Are you really okay though? You've been… I don't know how to say this… acting pretty strange since I last saw you."

"I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

"Alright. As long as you are." Crow said, refraining from taking his eyes away from mine for a few moments, before eventually turning to Yuya. "So, what's your story?" he asked.

"He says that he and his friends came here from another Dimension." Shinji explained. I looked over at Yuya.

"That's right. We came here to look for allies to help us fight against the Fusion Dimension." Yuya added.

"The _Fusion_ Dimension?" Crow mulled, before smiling. "Okay, Tyler, I think this Yuya guy has you beat with strange behavior."

Crow's comment aside, I turned to Yuya. "You come from another Dimension?" I asked softly.

"I know it sounds completely insane." He admitted, but I shook my head.

"No, it doesn't." I told him, his eyes meeting mine. I felt my face get a little hotter and I shook my head once more. "I-I mean, it sounds insane, but I believe you."

Yuya's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yeah." It took me all of my willpower not to confess that I wasn't the Tyler that Crow and Shinji knew. I decided instead to veer away a little from that part of the conversation. "These people from the Fusion Dimension… do they use Duel Monsters as well?"

Yuya nodded. "That's why we need to gather as many strong Duelists as we can to help us fight them." Yuya looked down before fetching something from his pocket. "This." He said, placing a card on the table. "This is what we used to come here."

I looked down at the card. It was a Spell Card called Dimensionizer, but the card's text box was blank.

"We'd like to help you out," Shinji said, "but we probably wouldn't be much help. Sector Security keeps confiscating all our best cards. In terms of other Commoners, we're doing pretty well – there's not many of us here who even have enough cards to make a full Deck – but in terms of everyone else, and the Topsiders… well, I'd hate to say it, but you'd probably be better off asking them for help, not that they'll care about anything or anyone other than themselves."

I picked up the Dimensionizer Spell Card carefully, studying it for any differences it might have to a regular Duel Monsters card, but it didn't seem to have any.

"The forces of the Fusion Dimension are huge. That's why we need as many people as we can get to help us. We already have members of our team, The Lancers, in this city, but we need more support." Yuya continued.

"Well I hope for your sake that you're able to reunite with your teammates, but as for me partnering up with a Topsider, that's never gonna happen." Shinji said, getting up from the table. "Alright, I'd better go find us something to eat. The kids haven't eaten since breakfast."

Crow turned to his dark-haired friend. "You don't need to worry about the kids. I got 'em a can of tuna before, so they'll be alright. And it should do us for tonight."

"Ah," Shinji nodded. "In that case, I'll go find them something for breakfast tomorrow."

"You're more than welcome to stay of course, Tyler." Crow told me. "We've still got all your things. Although…" he trailed, myself turning to Crow. "Yeah," he smiled, "I get it. You just want your Duel Runner back, don't you? That's why you're all on edge. Did Sector Security take your Deck and Duel Disk too?"

My heartbeat quickened. "A-actually, um… I didn't get my Deck or Duel Disk or Duel Runner confiscated. I… had an accident." I admitted, recalling my Turbo Duel against Jack, or at least his doppelgänger, and how he destroyed my Duel Runner along with my cards and put me in a coma.

"An accident?" Shinji asked.

I nodded, licking my lips. "Mm. I was Turbo Dueling a guy named Jack, and well, I-"

"Wait, Jack? Do you mean Jack Atlas?"

My eyes widened. I'd assumed that since Yusei didn't seem to exist in this Dimension, or Crow and the others didn't know him at the very least, that the same could have been said for Jack, but I guess I was wrong. I should have said no, but instead, I said "Y-yeah-"

I jumped back in fright as Shinji slammed his hand down on the table. "That fucking traitor!" he snapped. "Abandoning us is one thing, but _attacking_ us too?!"

"Calm down, Shinji," Crow sighed.

"Shinji, it wasn't like that." I tried to assure him. "Jack wasn't himself."

Shinji chortled. "Give me a _break_. Jack's _always_ been himself. That's all he's _ever_ been, and all he's ever thought about. Still, I'm impressed you even went up against him, and I'm glad you're okay." Shinji looked to the front door that Celina and Sylvio had left from. "Sector Security's after Yuya and the others, so I said they could stay here for the night, as long as they don't get the kids implicated." He said, waving back to Crow and me as he headed out the door.

"Why is the Public…" I sighed, shaking my head, "Sector Security after you?" I asked Yuya. "Does it have something to do with this Fusion Dimension?"

"I'm not sure." Yuya answered. "I think they might have mistaken us for our comrades, Zuzu and Yugo. If that's the case, that means they're in Neo Domino somewhere, and I have to find them." Yuya sighed. "I just wish that Celina and Sylvio didn't go off on their own like that…"

"Are they competent Duelists?"

"Yeah, but we need to stick together. We've already lost Gong, Dennis and Declan, three other Lancers."

"Brother…" I heard the hooded kid whisper.

"We should have arrived here together." Yuya stated.

"Well you can't do much about that now, can ya? Now come on, you guys have had a long day by the sound of it. Why don't you get some sleep?" Crow suggested. "I'll wait up for your friends to come back."

"Are you sure?" Yuya asked.

"Yeah, it's no trouble." Crow assured him, turning to me. "Tyler, you should get some sleep too. Do you remember where your room is?"

"U-uh…" I stammered. "No…"

"Ah, that's alright." Crow smiled. "Eric, show Tyler where your room is."

The black-haired young man nodded, getting up from his seat and smiling at me, motioning for me to follow him.

I followed Eric out of the room and up a small set of steps, turning down a corridor as he opened the door to the first room on the right.

It was a small bedroom, two king single beds on opposite sides of the room, a bedside table between them. A wardrobe which presumably had some clothes in it was next to the door we came in from. There were no curtains, blinds, or even windows, but there were a bunch of cards on my bedside table. "Everything is how you left it. Cards everywhere, all your clothes are still in the closet. And here." Eric handed me a card. The Tricky. "I held onto it all this time. Now it can go back to its owner."

I looked down at the card, "Oh, uh… th-thanks… man…"

Eric nodded to me, lying down on his bed and picking up a graphic novel from his bedside and proceeding to read it.

"Um…" I stammered. "Um…" Fuck. I was getting more and more annoyed with my speech impediment. "I…" I sighed, shaking my head. "Never mind…"

Eric's eyes drifted from the comic. "What's up, Ty?"

I sighed once more, smiling for some reason. "I don't know. Th-this all just feels a little… surreal…"

"How so?"

I scratched the back of my head. "You know that saying? 'The more things change, the more they stay the same'? I guess it's sort of like that. I mean… I have been gone for quite a while."

"True." Eric nodded, a beep sounding from a nearby tablet. Eric reached over and picked it up.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Just got a message from someone…"

"Ah," I said, Eric tapping away on his tablet before putting it down and locking the screen. "Alright, so, I guess I'll hit the hay then…" I muttered, clearing the cards off of my bed.

"Okay, I'm gonna go talk to Crow about a couple things." Eric told me, putting his comic aside as he got up and left the room.

I sighed, putting the cards – an assortment of old Normal Monsters like Larvas and M-Warrior #2 – onto the bedside table before sliding underneath the covers of my bed. The mattress was awful, but I couldn't complain. I rested my head against the pillow and I looked up at the ceiling, wondering how my friends in my Dimension were doing, and wondering if Luna was thinking of me as I was her. Her bed was much comfier than this one, if a little bit small, I thought.

I sighed once more, turning to the side and pulling the covers further over me, and eventually, thankfully, I drifted off to sleep.

* * *

" _Hey, psst, wake up_ …" I heard Tim whisper.

I scrunched my face together, turning and opening my eyes wearily to the darkness. I could just barely make out Tim standing over me. I couldn't even tell what kind of expression he had on his face. "Tim…?" I mumbled. "You find the boat?"

He didn't answer right away, which worried me. I became more worried when Tim said "I'm gonna say some things that you won't like to hear. I need you to promise me that you won't freak out."

I sat up in my bed, noticing that Eric seemed to be in a deep sleep in his bed. "What's wrong?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.

"The boat's gone."

My eyes widened, and I momentarily forgot that Eric was asleep next to me. " _Wha_ -" Tim put a hand to my mouth and silenced me.

" _Shush_ …!" he hissed. "I told you _not_ to freak out." Tim leaned closer to me. "Listen, when I got to where I'd left the boat, I couldn't find it, but there were a couple of clues, and it seemed to have been taken to someplace in the Tops. I couldn't figure out exactly where. This place is dumb and I need to have a better look around." Tim explained. "Anyway, I was coming back here to tell you, and…" Tim sighed, stopping.

"What?" I asked softly.

"Not to pile more bad on top of bad, but… I know where the you in this Dimension is… and you're not gonna like it."

* * *

"Oh my God…" I muttered breathlessly, standing in the center of a dirty, musky room. A chair, knocked over, was positioned just below a reinforced ceiling fan, a rope tied at one end to one of the blades. The other end tightly wrapped around a person's neck.

Mine.

Well, strictly speaking, the dimensional counterpart of me. He looked to be about the same age as me. Same black hair, though shorter than what mine had become. His body as well looked to be almost malnourished. For me, living in the Satellite and being 'forced' to undertake various 'physical activities', helped me develop a decent body, which I eventually lost to months of delivered food and soap opera reruns, and then thankfully got it back thanks to Tim. But my counterpart here looked like he'd been worked to the bone and never had a decent meal in his life.

Looking up at the body of my twin, I was absolutely horrified. I wanted to look away, but I just couldn't. Tears were starting to well up in my eyes, my diaphragm beginning to spasm as I walked forward, inspecting the body of my counterpart. His arms had two long cuts down the middle of them, as though he'd taken a knife and got about halfway before stopping and deciding on another way to take his life. "How long have you been here?" I asked 'myself', my voice breaking. I let out a low, defeated groan before forcing myself to look away, tears flowing, my eyes and nose running like faucets.

I roughly brushed my arm across my face to wipe the tears away, catching sight of a table in the corner of the room. Atop it rested a Deck of Duel Monsters cards, a weird contraption, and a piece of paper taped to the table. I walked over to it, peeled the paper off the table and read it to myself.

A suicide note.

_Crow,_

_I'm sorry. I don't know how you must be feeling right now, if you're reading this. Believe me, it wasn't an easy decision to make, but I haven't been completely honest about myself. I left the Tops because of my abusive stepfather, thinking that a life in poverty in the Commons would be better than a life broken. In some ways it was, because I was able to meet you, and Shinji, Eric, Damon, Sesu, Tony. You became my new family, a family that I will love and cherish forever. But it's just gotten too much for me. The living conditions of the Commons is just too much for someone like me, a weakling, to cope with. I know it seems like I've taken the easy way out, but the truth is, even if we could restore the balance and reunite the Commoners and the Topsiders, I could never forgive my stepfather Kobi for what he's done. I'd have felt like I'd have to kill him to even get some small amount of peace within myself, and then I'd just be sentenced to The Facility for murder. There's no happy ending for me. I'm sorry._

_Please take care of the kids. They can have whatever cards they like from my Deck, and, if they're willing to share, my Duel Disk is theirs too._

_Tyler_

It was my handwriting too. This person, who lived in a completely different Dimension to me, was almost exactly the same as me. We had the same feelings of hopelessness, the same damn stepfather. I had no idea if the lives we lived were really any different, but regardless, it seemed as though they ended the same.

There were so many emotions swirling around inside me that I didn't know how to express.

I turned back to Tim, who was staring up at the hanging corpse of my counterpart. "Can you bring him back?" I asked.

"What, you mean revive him?" Tim sounded perplexed. "Tyler, he's too far gone. Look at him. I was only able to revive you because I got all that water out of your body and freed up your airways. You hadn't been dead for that long. I don't know how long this one's been here for." Tim poked my counterpart's hand and I flinched. "Besides, even if I _was_ able to revive him, if he's anything like you, he wouldn't be very grateful-"

"I was wrong, Tim." I told him. Tim turned to me, almost looking surprised by my statement. "He's so young. I'm so young. We don't have very long to live as it is, and… we throw it all away because we're unhappy. I get why he did it. I'm not going to stand here and pretend that this doesn't make sense, because according to this letter, we've lived very similar, if not exactly the same lives as each other." I turned away again. "Can you get him down?"

"Get him down?"

"Please." I begged. "I want him buried. He deserves to be buried."

I heard Tim grunt before the rope hit the floor with a dejected smack. "I need to find a place to bury him then." I heard Tim say. "For now, I'll set him down on the couch." Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Tim take my counterpart's body over to a dilapidated, soggy couch and sat him down across it. Tim left the room, presumably to see if there was a place close enough to bury him, and I found myself staring at the body. Aside from the incredibly pale skin, massive cuts on his arms, and signs of rope burn around his neck, it looked like he was sleeping.

Tears began to flow from my eyes once more and I walked over to him, sitting down beside him on the couch. "I'm sorry." I found myself saying. "I'm sorry you had to go through all that shit with Kobi." I turned to look at myself and let out a wailing cry of defeat, burying my head in my hands.

"Okay, I've found a-" Tim silenced himself, probably at the sight of me being such a wreck. I heard Tim walk over to me, patting me reassuringly on the back. "I know this must feel weird for you. I've watched countless people die in my life, but I've never seen my own corpse." Tim spoke softly. "If you need to talk about it, I'm here."

I brought my hands away from my face, turning to Tim, my tears glistening and distorting my vision. "I never thought about it from the other side before…" I whispered. "All I ever really thought about was how I was going to do it, and then actually doing it, but not what that would do to other people. How… how people would r-react if they saw me like that, hanging from the ceiling. Crow and the others, they obviously had no idea that I'd gone and done this…" I felt myself start to break down again, more tears flowing from my eyes.

Tim reached over and grabbed my counterpart's cold lifeless body, holding him in his arms as he walked outside. I sighed shakily, my diaphragm spasming as I followed Tim outside, my legs shaking with every step.

I wiped the tears away from my eyes to see the grave that Tim had dug for my counterpart – a massive hole into the Earth, a shovel propped up beside a couple of empty barrels, his pistol on top of one of them. It wasn't the grave that I would have preferred, but it was better than leaving my counterpart hanging from the ceiling for Crow or someone else to find.

Tim gently lowered my counterpart into the hole and stepped back, glancing at me and my counterpart. I looked down at the body lying in the ground and his eerily expressionless face. I felt like I was going to throw up, and I exhaled shakily once more.

"You ready?" Tim asked, turning to me.

I nodded. Tim nodded in return, grabbing the shovel and proceeding to fill in the grave. I exhaled shakily once more, more tears running from my eyes. Tim and I stood there, staring down at the grave for a while. I wish I could have helped him, save him from my stepdad, from himself, but I couldn't. I just felt absolutely powerless and pathetic.

At least now, I thought, he couldn't be hurt anymore. Tim and I were the only two that knew where he was buried, or that he was even buried or dead at all.

I only realized then just how bright the sky had become. The sun was rising, the darkness giving way to a blue light.

"Come on. We should go." Tim told me.

It took me a while to hear what Tim had said, but eventually, I turned to him and nodded, the two of us moving back into the house.

My eyes were drawn back over to the table and I walked over to it, slipping my counterpart's suicide note in my pocket. The strange contraption beside it, I noticed, a metallic-looking gauntlet, had a compartment for a Deck of cards, and I realized how similar it was to a Duel Disk.

I picked up the Deck and went through it, interested to see how my counterpart's Deck differed from my own. I remembered when I was first learning to play Duel Monsters, and my mom bought me a copy of Yugi Muto's Deck. It was one I'd chosen, under the assumption that if I was to have a Deck like the King of Games that I'd be able to win like he did. Of course, it was very stupid of me to think like that, but I was eight years old and didn't know any better. Eventually, when I, as a part of Team Satisfaction, defeated the Magician's Four, I was able to add their cards to my Deck and make some improvements somewhat; differentiating my Deck from Yugi's a little.

Still, the Deck I had at that point was nothing like the Deck my counterpart had. I mean, yes, it was still a Spellcaster Deck, and yes, it seemed to focus on the Dark Magician as mine had, but there were cards in the Deck I'd never seen before. Multiple different variants and counterparts to the Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl were in the Deck, and even the original cards had different artwork. Overall, it looked, in theory at least, to be a much more powerful Deck than my own.

I took the Deck of cards and slotted them into the Deck Zone of the gauntlet, before fitting my left arm into it. It was a lot heavier than it looked. Definitely heavier than my old Duel Disk. I inspected the gauntlet, trying to find a button or a switch or something to activate it. I ended up pressing anything that looked like a button, and eventually, the two cores of the gauntlet emitted a blue light, and a blade formed out from the side of the gauntlet. The bottom of the gauntlet, what I presumed to be an empty space, turned out to house a screen of some kind that just said 'Awaiting connection' on it.

There was no doubt about it. This was some sort of new Duel Disk.

I wasn't sure if it was really my place to keep my counterpart's things, but I decided, in a sense, that they were mine. And plus, I thought, they'd help me keep up the façade that I was pretending to be my counterpart, at least for the moment.

"Hey!" Tim called, standing by the door. "You comin' or what?"

I turned to Tim and nodded, powering off my Duel Disk, the blade of blue light disappearing.

* * *

Tim yawned, stretching his arms into the air as the two of us approached Crow's place. "Look, I've been out all night, and I'm pretty buggered. I'm gonna catch some z's. Almost caught 'em all." Tim patted me on the back once more. "But, when I wake up, if you want to talk about anything, I'm happy to listen."

"Thanks, Tim." I said, forcing myself to smile. The sky had brightened a little bit more, but I still couldn't shake the sight of my counterpart.

Tim gave me a thumbs up, stretching his arms above his head once more as he walked inside, past Eric who was sitting on the steps outside Crow's place.

"Hey, Ty."

"Oh… hey, Eric…"

"What are you doing out late?"

"Nothing." I told him, but it was hard to keep the dreary tone out of my voice.

"You weren't doing anything?" Eric asked.

I shook my head, doing my best to force life into my eyes. "No, just… went for a walk…"

"You and your friend weren't _burying_ something?" he suddenly asked.

My heart stopped, or at least it felt like it did. There was no way he could know. How the _Hell_ could he know?!

"E-Eric it's not what it looks like-"

"Save it. I know a dead body when I see one. You're a murderer. And once Crow wakes up, I'm telling him."

It was like my heart was getting caught in my throat. It was clear that Eric hadn't _seen_ who we'd buried, not that it really mattered, at least to him. "N-no, Eric, you don't-you don't understand!"

"I'm listening." Eric's gaze didn't waver, which only made it more difficult for me to think of what I was going to say. Part of me wanted to lie my way out, but I couldn't think of a convincing lie. If I had more time to prepare, I probably could have thought of something convincing to say, but all I could think of saying was the truth, no matter how crazy and outlandish it all sounded.

I sighed. "Okay, this… this is gonna sound really strange, but… those other guys sleeping in the house right now? Those ones claiming to be from a different Dimension? I believe them. A-and the reason I believe them is because… I'm also from another Dimension. Not the same one as those people, I've never met them, but… I'm not the Tyler you know." I stopped. "Knew. That body that I was getting rid of. That's your Tyler, the one from this Dimension. He hanged himself, and I just thought he deserved to be buried."

"…What…?"

"I know. I know it sounds crazy, and way too convenient that all this weird shit is happening, but it's true." I told him. Eric didn't reply, he just kept looking at me like I was insane, which I was, but I was telling the truth! "Listen, I might not be the same Tyler that you know but trust me when I tell you that he… went through some stuff, and he kept it together for as long as he could. I don't know what his relationship with you was like, but…" I sighed, and against my better judgment, I reached into my pocket and gave Eric the note. "This is a suicide note that he left. It was for Crow."

Eric read the note, his eyes moving along the paper, widening and narrowing until he finished reading. I expected him to give the note back to me when he'd finished reading, but he didn't. Instead, he folded the note several times over and then tore it at the crease, ripping it to pieces.

"Eric, what the Hell?!" I snapped.

"No one can know about this."

"Eric," I said breathlessly, "I'm… I'm not from here. I'm from a Dimension where this place and the City are unified. A Dimension where either you and I never became friends, or you don't exist. A Dimension where I made a foolish mistake and threw everything away, and I have to get back there and make things right."

"Ty, if you tell Crow or Shinji or anyone else, it's gonna destroy them. You can't say anything to them. Promise me that you won't."

"E-Eric, I-"

"Promise me!"

I closed my eyes and sighed. "Okay… I promise…"

"Good." Eric smiled. "I won't tell Crow what I saw either. Let's just keep it between us, okay?"

"If you think that's best…"

"I do." Eric nodded. "Shinji and I are gonna go get breakfast for the kids in a bit. You should probably try and go back to bed. Once those kids wake up, you won't get a moment of rest."

"Right… okay…" I turned and walked through the front door of Crow's, unsure if I could really trust Eric, or if I did the right thing by telling him I came from another Dimension and that the Tyler he knew was dead. It probably wasn't the best thing to do on my part, but my mind was just such a mess, it just felt like it was the only thing I could do.

Nevertheless, I did my best to put that out of my mind for the moment. After all, I thought, if anything went to shit, hopefully Tim would help me. He _was_ in this with me, after all.

I headed back into my room to find Tim having crashed on my bed. I sighed, and then I noticed Tim's pistol lying on the nightstand.

I tensed my left arm, before detaching and releasing my Duel Disk from my arm, propping it up against the drawer next to Eric's tablet, before walking over to the nightstand.

My counterpart might have been the one to take his own life, but as far as I was concerned, Kobi was responsible for his death, and as much as I tried to push the image of his corpse from my mind, I couldn't, and I found myself reaching for the pistol.

"I'm not a murderer, Eric… not yet…" I muttered, the words that my counterpart had written burning themselves into my mind as I tucked the pistol to the inside of my vest.

_I left the Tops because of my abusive stepfather, thinking that a life in poverty in the Commons would be better than a life broken._

_I could never forgive Kobi for what he's done._

_There's no happy ending for me. I'm sorry._

It was time for Kobi to pay.


	5. Don't Let the Wolf in the Gate

My old family house was pretty much how I remembered it from my Dimension. The _house_ was. The front yard looked like shit. The grass was brown, thick and untidy. Not that I ever did anything to help around the house, it was just a statement. To be fair, I wasn't even sure if my mom and Kobi still lived there. I probably should have done some planning or investigating, instead of leaving Crow's place in a rush while everyone else was unaware. But I couldn't take a moment to think about it. All I could see when I closed my eyes was my counterpart hanging from the ceiling, and while I didn't know for sure what Kobi had done to him, I knew he'd done something, and he had to pay for what he did.

I knew at least, in my Dimension, Kobi eventually got taken to The Facility, and I hadn't heard anything about him since. Taze mentioned him very briefly and told me that fact when we met up for the first time in years at Bootleg, but when Taze found out that I had developed retrograde amnesia thanks to Sayer and the Arcadia Movement, the topic of my stepfather and what he did to _get_ thrown into The Facility was quickly brushed aside.

I wasn't sure if Kobi getting thrown into The Facility was the same case here or not. For all I knew, he still lived here, together with my family, and my mom was none the wiser about what Kobi did to my counterpart. Hell, the house could have belonged to another person, couple or family entirely.  
 **  
**I pulled myself back and pressed against the wall of an alleyway as a drone flew by. From what I could tell by looking at the house from afar, it didn't seem like anyone was home. Nevertheless, I took a few deep breaths in and out, urging myself to stay strong as I walked over to the front door.

I was just about to knock when I hesitated. Someone else could have been living here, I reminded myself. Kobi might not have even lived in the house, and if he did, there was no telling what _this_ Kobi would be like. This was, after all, a different Dimension to my own. This Kobi could have been even more violent and unruly than the one in my Dimension.

I shook my head, once again seeing the corpse of my counterpart as I closed my eyes. I reopened them, tensing my hands into fists as I knocked on the front door, my heart pounding in my chest as I waited to see if I could hear anything from inside.

No footsteps, but I could hear something sliding along the floor, getting closer to the door. The handle rattled and I instinctively stepped back, eyes wide for a moment as the front door opened, my stepdad, Kobi Banzu, standing on the other side.

Only it wasn't quite him.

Don't get me wrong. It was most _certainly_ my stepdad standing in front of me. Same face, same hair, same eyes. But his hands, large and hairy like always, were gripping the handles of a walking frame and his legs, as thin as his arms, looked stiff and awkward.

"T-Tyler?" he asked.

He was disabled.

I wasn't sure what kind of disability he had. It had to be relatively severe looking at the state of him and considering he was walking with a frame. It could have been due to some sort of accident, or just something he was born with in this Dimension, like cerebral palsy.

I almost felt sorry for him.

_Almost_.

A disability didn't make up for the year of abuse I'd suffered from him. Nowhere _near_ did it, and I wasn't going to be denied that because of the fact that Kobi seemed suddenly frail. My counterpart hanged himself because of him, ended his life because it was too much for him to bear!

I reached forward, ripping the walker from Kobi's grip as his eyes widened, the man falling back and hitting his head on the tile floor.

I wasn't sure if he was dead or out cold. It certainly wouldn't have been at all satisfying for me to have him die from a fall. I pushed the walker back into the house, stepping around my stepfather's body as I invited myself inside, closing and locking the door behind me.

I left Kobi lying there for the moment, taking the opportunity to have a look around the house. Kobi seemed to be on his own for the moment – the house was an absolute shitfight – but I wasn't sure if either my mom or Joel were still living with him and just happened to be out momentarily. After all, if there was the potential for either one of them to come back at a moment's notice, I'd obviously have to be quick. That said, there's no way that either Joel or my mom would willingly live in a pigsty, so from the state of the house, I had to assume that Kobi was living alone.

_Perfect_.

I grabbed the back of Kobi's shirt, dragging him along the cold tile floor into the living room, pulling him up and laying him on a dilapidated couch, a thin line of sun coming through the closed blinds. I could see his chest and prominent stomach moving in and out. He was breathing, which both calmed and irritated me at the same time.

Leaving Kobi momentarily once again, I went into the kitchen, sifting through all the drawers hoping to find something to restrain him with. Thankfully, I was able to find some rope in the third-bottom drawer, which I used to tie Kobi's wrists together. It wasn't a very good knot, to be truthful, but considering the state of Kobi, it honestly didn't even really matter. I could have probably left him untied and he wouldn't have been able to do anything to me.

I sat myself down on the floor, looking up at him as a little bit of drool started to run from his mouth. I sighed, trying to imagine myself in his shoes – coming in at night drunk and beating me, but I couldn't. I admit, I was a bit of an asshole. Quiet, cold, standoffish. I hated him for trying to be a replacement for my real father, Daisuke, but it wasn't Kobi's fault. I knew that now, but I was only a kid back then. I didn't have the… the brain function to understand that. But _he_ should have understood that as well, that I was just a child who, until then, hadn't really experienced any sort of loss or misfortune. I had no idea how to cope with anything, so for him to lash out at me like he did, and keep doing it even when I begged him to stop, there was no excuse.

And he had to pay for what he did.

I waited for several minutes until Kobi's eyelids started to scrunch, groaning softly to himself. His eyes slowly opened.

"Wakey-wakey~" I cooed, Kobi groaning as his eyes slowly focused on me. "There we go." Once again, I kept my voice soft, low and unthreatening. "You had me worried there for a moment. I wasn't sure when or _if_ you were going to wake up."

"What the Hell is…?" Kobi groaned again. "What…? Tyler, what? What are you doing here?"

"I was just in the neighborhood, and I thought I might drop by so that we could have a chat." I told him. Kobi's eyes widened and he looked down at his hands, realizing they were tied together. "Relax," I continued, "I just had to make sure you couldn't do anything to me. After all, we both know how you can get."

"What do you want?"

"I said. I just want to talk." I took a moment to glance around the room, before looking back at Kobi's rough, unshaven face, his eyes uncharacteristically showing fear. "So… where's mom?" I asked. Kobi didn't answer. He just looked at me with that horrible, disgusting face of his. His lack of an answer frightened me, the thought crossing my mind that, in this Dimension, Kobi ended up abusing my mom like he'd threatened to do in mine. "If you've hurt her…"

Kobi grunted, fiddling with his hands as best he could, a foolish, pointless attempt to try and free himself. "Your mother… left two years ago."

I snorted. "Good." Another thought crossed my mind. "And Joel?"

"He's… in The Facility."

"The _Facility_?" I asked, honestly surprised.

"He was caught… caught selling drugs."

I suddenly laughed. "Oh, _that_ makes sense."

Kobi tried even harder to get his hands free, but was of course unable, groaning loudly. "Help!" he called weakly, as though hoping that someone outside would hear him calling.

I furrowed my brows. "Don't. Don't you _dare_." I told him. Kobi's breathing became heavier, and as I assumed he'd call for help once more, I roughly grabbed the bottom of his face in my right hand. With my left, I reached behind me, taking one of my shoes off, removing a sock and shoving it down Kobi's throat to gag him. Kobi struggled initially, but ultimately he couldn't do anything to stop me. "There. That's better. Silence." I paused, exhaling slowly, deeply, relishing it.

Relish.

I hadn't eaten in a while, I realized. The only sustenance I'd gotten was the nutrients in that Turbulent Juice stuff that Tim had allegedly pumped me with while I was unconscious, and I hadn't eaten at all since arriving at Crow's place either. With Kobi in his condition, I thought it wouldn't hurt to take a little look through his pantry or fridge while I had the chance. I was owed that at least.

I looked back down at Kobi. "Alright. I'll be back in a second. Don't go anywhere." I said seriously, not realizing that Kobi was literally unable to disobey me. I got to my feet, moving into the kitchen. To be honest, I didn't really have any clue what I was doing, or what I was planning to do with or to Kobi. I knew deep down that the Kobi in this Dimension was not the same one in my Dimension, and that whatever I did would not magically solve any issues I had with my Kobi, but I didn't care. This wasn't about me.

This was about the other me.

There was almost nothing in the pantry, save for some microwave rice and cup ramen, nothing that really interested me. I opened the fridge to find a similar situation. Squeeze bottles of ketchup, mustard, some spring onions, and on the bottom shelf, were various cartons of alcoholic drinks. Quite a selection.

At seeing that, part of me wanted to laugh and cry. It was so like him.

Not knowing or having had any experience with alcohol, I reached in and grabbed one of the cans of Canadian Club, closing the fridge door as I walked out of the kitchen and back into the living room where I'd left Kobi.

He was still there. Hadn't moved at all. "So this is the kind of stuff you drink?" I asked, even though I knew Kobi couldn't reply. "What's the law here for drinking? Eighteen? Twenty? Twenty-one?" I questioned. Kobi screamed through his gag, and I shook my head. "Like you'd know. You don't care about laws." I dismissed, cracking the can open. "After all, if you did, you wouldn't have done half the shit you did to me… and you wouldn't be in this mess. Unfortunately for _you_ , _I_ don't care about laws either." I told him. Kobi yelled through his gag as I took a sip. "Hey, this is actually pretty good." I licked my lips. "It's like Sprite, but it's got a little bit of a…" I couldn't quite describe the taste, but I enjoyed it most definitely. I took another sip, looking down at Kobi. "Hmm? You want some?" I asked, my lips curling into a smile. "Alright," I snickered, pouring some of the can out over his head. Kobi cringed. "Aww… what's wrong? Don't you like being abused? Being made to feel powerless?" My eyes widened in anger and I kicked Kobi in the face, my sock falling from his mouth, stained with blood.

"You-"

" _Shut up_!" I snapped. "I had to feel like that every day of my life living with you, you _fucking cunt_!"

"I-"

" _No_!" I snapped once more, this time punching him in the face. "I told you to _shut up_!" I repeated, feeling my heart pound in my chest, my breathing shaky and uneven. I felt sick. Even though it felt so good to hit him, I didn't like what I was doing, but I found it so hard to stop myself. I clenched my eyes shut tight and turned away from Kobi, slapping myself across the face several times before screaming vehemently.

My throat burned from my scream and so I downed the rest of the can, throwing the empty can onto the floor.

The air around me was so hot, my body felt like it was on fire, and my blood boiling. I clenched my hands into fists and tensed my body as hard as I could until I couldn't hold it anymore and just released, pushing out a big breath of air as I willed my tension to be expelled along with it. I sighed.

I started to laugh again, and I had no idea why. I got down to one knee, once again forcing my discarded sock down Kobi's throat, making him gag. "Do you realize how insignificant you are? Not even… not even on a planetary scale, no… you're literally nothing… you don't mean anything… you're not wanted or needed… you just exist." I exhaled shakily. "But, to me… you've defined my entire existence, which is honestly pathetic… for both of us. Honestly, how pathetic do you have to be to abuse a child? What? Just because I talked back to you a couple times, as any child my age would have done to a stepparent, that that gave you the right to beat me? Someone who wouldn't even fight back? Who _couldn't_?! Because you threatened to do the same thing to their mother?" I shook my head. "And what do you have here now? Nothing. Ever since I left here, your whole life has gone to shit, so it looks like… I defined your existence too…" I shook my head once more, and my eyes drifted to a bookcase in the corner of the room. Recognizing a collection of Little Golden Books on the bottom shelf, I smiled. "I remember these… when I was younger, my dad, my _real_ dad, used to read those stories to me before I went to bed. Did you used to read to Joel?" I asked before chuckling. "No, you were probably too drunk to even turn the page. One story I remember was 'Little Red Riding Hood'. I'm sure even a drunk like you remembers _that_ one, right? The one with the wolf and the grandmother? I used to think you were the wolf and I was the old decrepit grandmother, but now… _I'm_ the wolf, and you made the mistake of letting the wolf in the gate." I turned back to my stepdad. "But I'm not a bad wolf, Kobi. I only want one thing from you: an apology. You give me that and I'll be on my way. You'll never have to see me again. You can count on that." I removed the soaked sock from Kobi's mouth.

"Help-"

I struck Kobi across the face with what I felt was appropriate and reasonable force, and then grabbed his face, forcing his lips together. "No-no-no…" I quickly hushed. "You don't say _tha~at_ , you just say 'I'm sorry'." I smiled, releasing his lips and then wiping my hand on my sleeve.

Kobi looked at me, the once-powerful man and bringer of all my pain and suffering now petrified. "N-no… I can't…"

I frowned. "You can't what? Apologize for what you did?!" I snapped, shaking my head and sighing, trying desperately to keep myself calm. "That's alright. I wasn't expecting this to be easy…!" I forced the sock back into Kobi's mouth. He tried to bite me so I struck him in the face again, this time a little harder. "One way or another, _father_ … I will get an apology from you… but maybe I just need to break you a bit more." I gently took Kobi's left hand into my right, gradually applying pressure as I pushed the hand back towards his arm. Kobi screamed in pain through his gag, and I forced his hand back as much as I could until I heard a satisfying pop and I let Kobi's hand go, limply dropping out in front of him.

Kobi let out a squeak as I smiled at him with false endearment. I then ripped the gag from Kobi's mouth as he coughed hoarsely with his chest. "There we go…" I cooed. "Now… 'I'm sorry, Tyler. I should never have abused you.'" I instructed him to say.

Kobi stayed silent, apart from his ragged breaths. "I'm…" he started, "I'm not… I'm not going to apologize… I can't… I didn't do anything wrong…!"

"God, you're stubborn!" I rolled my eyes. "All I'm asking for is an apology. Two words – 'I'm sorry'. That's it, that's all you have to say!"

"Tyler, please, you don't have to do this to me…" Kobi begged weakly.

"Just say you're sorry!"

"I'm not apologizing for what I did. I loved you, Tyler."

I froze.

"What…?" I asked softly.

Kobi swallowed. "A-and I know you loved me too…"

A shallow breath escaped me as I faced the terrible realization that my counterpart hadn't just been abused like I was. No, _his_ Kobi had raped him. Though it had only been a haunting dream for me, for my counterpart, it was a bitter and disgusting reality. I didn't blame my counterpart for committing suicide. I couldn't. It was his escape from the trauma. If I was in his shoes, I wouldn't have even made it to the Satellite… or the Commons. I would have hanged myself from the ceiling fan in my bedroom.

He was braver than I was, to keep it together for so long.

He was stronger than me too, because I couldn't keep it together anymore.

I pulled out Tim's pistol and shot Kobi in the head, who collapsed back against the couch, blood splattering onto the wall behind him.

* * *

I was tired. I had to sleep. Or maybe I didn't. It was a weird feeling, to have killed my stepfather, who wasn't really my stepfather. My breathing was short, sweat caked onto my form, stinging my eyes. Tim's gun felt heavier than before.

I was surprised at how much effort it took me to open the door to Crow's place. My feet dragged along the floor as I stepped inside, alone. There was no sound I could hear, so I felt I needed to be quiet too. I went back into my room. Neither Tim nor Eric were there. I put the gun back on the nightstand and stripped, feeling in both body and mind that I needed a shower.

The shower was in the same room as the bathroom, and was clear, see-through, no curtain. I threw a clean towel over the side and got in, turning on the water, hoping the water would be able to hide my tears and disguise the pain once it all inevitably started to run.

The water burned my cold skin, but I didn't adjust the temperature right away. Not until I saw steam start to rise up around me. Tears flowed from my eyes until I couldn't tell what had come from me and what had come from the showerhead.

What even mattered? He wasn't my real stepfather, so why did I kill him? Why did I feel like it mattered? The Tyler in this Dimension never even knew me, and yet I felt obligated to do something. I wasn't going to kill him, it wasn't my place to kill him, but I was glad I did.

It was eerie how similar and yet so different our lives were. One moment, one decision changed everything. I shouldn't have been shocked at that. If Luna hadn't have kissed me, we wouldn't have started a relationship, and if I hadn't have teamed up with Zone, we wouldn't have had to end it.

And just because I killed _this_ version of my stepfather, that didn't really change anything. My counterpart here was still dead. And all the other Dimensions. Did they have a version of Kobi in them abusing a version of me too? How many versions of me were there? And what did it matter that I managed to kill one Kobi?

It didn't.

"Hey, whatcha doin'? Havin' a shower?" Tim asked. I hadn't even heard him come in. In my stupor, my retarded brain had forgotten to lock the door.

I pulled the towel down and around me, getting it soaked as it covered my privates, the water continuing to run. "Wh-wh-what are you doing in here?!" I stammered. "Can't you hear the water running?!"

"O'course I can. You're having a shower." Tim leaned on the sink, looking at me as though he didn't even care or know that I was naked.

"Yeah, well it's _rude_ to walk in on someone in the shower!"

"What? Is it because you're naked and I'm not? Do you want me to get naked too-"

" _No_!" I blurted.

"Shame." Tim shrugged. "Anyway, that tomato-haired kid told me that they're trying to get an army together to help fight against the people of the Fusion Dimension."

I sighed. "Yeah, Tim, I don't-"

"Apparently they're going around sealing people inside cards and syphoning their energy for something. It's terrible! We need to do something about it!"

I narrowed my eyes. "You were perfectly content to let the Kmart Dimension do its own thing. Why do you want to interfere in what this Fusion Dimension is doing?"

"'Cause these guys aren't sticking to their own Dimension. Yu _yaas_ said they're going around to other Dimensions and just attacking people completely unprovoked. That's terrorism, and terrorism is wrong!"

"Look, Tim: I just want to go back home to my Dimension. I honestly don't care about what some randoms in another Dimension are doing. They don't care about me, so why should _I_ care about them?"

"That's how they feel about you. They don't care. That's why they're doing what they're doing, and if you ignore them and pretend that they're not there, eventually it's going to reach a point where you won't be able to ignore them anymore. The world is made up of things that we like and don't like; you can't pick and choose what you like and just get rid of everything else. That's ignorant. If the Fusion Dimension's going around to other Dimensions then it's only a matter of time before they get to your Dimension. You think the Fusion Dimension's not gonna come for you? Get rid of you and everyone you care about? I might not be around to save you, and you might not have my _gun_ either."

I was about to yell at Tim, tell him to shut up, when I realized what he'd said, and froze, the warm water of the shower feeling much colder. "W-w-w-what…?"

"Did it feel good? Taking someone else's life?" Tim's tone wasn't stern. It was almost a casual question to him, and Tim seemed to know that as well. "You know, it's a slippery slope."

"You don't know wh-wh-what you're… talking about." I said, and I immediately wished I didn't.

Before I could even react, Tim reached through the glass, shattering it and wrapping a hand around my neck, hoisting me up and pinning me to the back of the shower.

"I don't know what I'm talking about?!" Tim asked incredulously. "I've killed more people than you could imagine. And I've done things that would _really_ give you a reason to try and kill yourself. I've killed for fun, defense, revenge. Hell, just because the pay was good, but once a killer, _always_ a killer. And there are nights I wish I wasn't. You took someone else's life. I hope you can live with the guilt."

"I don't feel guilt-" I squeaked out, Tim tightening his grip around my neck.

"Bullshit. You'd better feel something now, or else you'll never stop. Who was it? Who'd you kill?"

"M-my stepdad…!" I croaked.

"Your _stepdad_?!"

"In this Dimension, Kobi… raped my counterpart. That's why he killed himself. I couldn't let Kobi live."

Tim's expression softened, and I felt his grip immediately loosen. His eyes averted mine, wandering aimlessly around the room, until he finally said "I'm sorry…" and let me go. Tim turned and walked to the doorway, leaving me in a shower with a water-drenched towel, surrounded by bits of broken glass. "I would have done it too…" Tim sighed. "Just… don't let it happen again…"

* * *

Tim left me the bits of broken glass to clean up after I'd finished my shower. Even though I was clean, I still felt like shit.

What was I supposed to do? I was trapped in an unknown land with no way of getting home, surrounded by strangers, and forced to face the realization of my own insignificance. Kobi's life didn't matter, _my_ life didn't matter. How _could_ it when there were potentially infinite versions of us? What did it matter if _one_ of us met our end?

I just felt so lost and alone. It was at times like this that Luna would say something to get me out of my funk. Something like 'I don't care how many versions of you there are, Tyty. There could be a million of you, but it wouldn't matter to me. You're you and _this_ you is the only one that matters to me! I like you just the way you are!'.

I missed her so much. But of course, Luna probably didn't feel that way about me now.

I put the rest of the glass shards into the trash and sighed, keeping the soaked towel wrapped around my waist as I headed back into my room. I was half-expecting Tim to be in there, but he wasn't.

I closed the door and walked over to the closet, interested to see the kind of clothing my counterpart liked and wore. I opened it to find the contents of the closet split in two, one side presumably belonging to Eric and the other to me. I presumed the right side was mine because the left side had a framed picture of Eric along with a couple other people in it resting on a shelf that side, while the right side shelf was empty.

"Damn…" I muttered. The me in this Dimension had some stylish shit. None of it was honestly the sort of stuff I'd wear, but that was really only because I'd never gotten an opportunity.

I pulled a white French cuff shirt out, along with a pair of navy blue jeans and a belt. I wasn't really sure if I could pull off the 'belt look', but if there was ever a time in my life that I could have, it would have been now, thanks to my slimmer figure and improved physique. I also grabbed a blue vest jacket, along with an old pair of Air Muscle-looking shoes. Probably just cheap knock-offs. Not that I really cared.

I dressed myself in a hurry, worried that Tim would walk in on me in another compromising position, before dusting myself down and tidying up my hair in the mirror.

"Hey,"

I straightened up, noticing Eric standing by the door, his frame just barely visible in the corner of the mirror.

I kept my eyes focused as I fiddled with my hair. "Eric, hey," I spoke softly. "I, um… I didn't know you were here…"

"Shinji, Crow and I went off a little earlier to go and get some more food for the kids. We couldn't find you – didn't know where you were, but we saw you'd left your Duel Disk lying around, so we knew you couldn't have gone far." Eric explained.

I glanced over at my Duel Disk, propped up against the wall. I walked over to it, picking it up before slotting the gauntlet over my left hand. "I hope you don't mind me keeping it." I said. "I mean, I know in the note he left, the… the other Tyler had planned to give it to the kids, but…"

"Ty, as far as I'm concerned, it's yours." Eric smiled. "I haven't told anyone else, by the way."

"I'm not going to tell anyone either." I assured him. I noticed him staring at me with an expression I couldn't discern, so I turned to him. "What's up?"

Eric's eyes veered from mine. "Those clothes suit you. You look good in them." Eric shook his head. "Anyway, if you want to eat anything, you'd better come now. Otherwise there won't be anything left. The kids are eating pretty much everything."

I smiled. "Thanks, Eric."

Eric and I made our way from our room out into the kitchen. As Eric had said, Amanda, Frank and Taren were stuffing their faces with chocolate and cookies, while Tim was eating some baked beans from a tin. "Hey, slow down or you'll choke." Shinji told the kids.

"No we won't!" Taren said, his mouth full of chocolate.

"Hey, Tyler, good to see you're back. You gonna eat or what?" Crow asked. "Better get in before the kids eat it all."

"Alright," I said, walking over and taking some crackers from atop the pile of food and nibbling at them.

"You know, _you're_ allowed to eat as well." Shinji said to the kid in the light blue hoodie. The kid looked at the food but didn't move. Shinji sighed, handing the kid a donut. "Here, you have to eat something." He smiled.

Through Shinji's simple offer of food, I was reminded so much of my time when I first came to the Satellite. I was cold and alone, with some of the residents not exactly being friendly towards me after I told them I came from New Domino, but Yusei and Crow… they were the exact opposite. They were so welcoming to me, a stranger, an outsider. They took me back to Martha's orphanage and asked her if I could stay, and of course Martha, being the kind woman she was, accepted. They didn't have to give me anything, but they gave me everything, and now Shinji and Crow were doing the same for Yuya and the others, as well as Tim and me.

"Crow, I never said…" I paused, finding it difficult to say what I wanted to say, both because of my stutter, and because I'd never said it to _my_ Crow when I had the chance. "You're a really good friend, and I'm really th-thankful that I know you…"

I noticed Crow get a little flustered and he smiled. "Oh, th-thanks, man…"

"Is this one okay?" Shinji asked Yuya, motioning towards the hooded kid.

"Riley's…" Yuya paused, sighing. "I don't know. I wish I did." Yuya lowered his voice just a little. "To be honest, I've never seen Riley smile, or even really speak."

"Maybe she's on the spectrum?" Tim suggested, mouth full of beans. "Not that there's anything _wrong_ with that."

I nearly choked. "' _She_ '?" I asked.

"Yeah, that's a girl, Tyler." Tim told me.

"What?"

"Trust me. Remember the checkout chick at the Kmart…" Tim paused, "place… it's like that…" he said.

"What? But-"

" _Trust me_." Tim repeated. "I've been around people all my life. I can tell."

"How can you tell?"

"I just _can_!" Tim shouted. "Besides, it shouldn't matter what someone's sex or gender is. It's what? Twenty-twenty-two now, right? Come on, Tyler, get with it."

"I wasn't…" I sighed. "Oh my God…"

Tim and I had seemed to have gone off on our own conversation, as Crow and Yuya seemed to be talking about something completely different. I don't even think they were paying attention to us.

"I just want to bring smiles to everyone through my Entertainment Dueling, and make everyone feel happy." Yuya said.

"In my experience, the best way to make people happy around here is to make sure they're fed." Crow said, closing his eyes.

"Doesn't matter how much you're fed." Yuya argued. "Without a reason to smile, it's not real happiness."

"What are you saying?!" Crow snapped. "That you can only be happy _if_ you smile? That doesn't make any sense!"

Shinji put a hand to his forehead. "Crow…"

"It's obvious that you've never had to worry about where your next meal's coming from." Crow said to Yuya, a stern voice unlike anything I'd ever heard from him before. "You probably shouldn't talk about things you don't understand."

"What the heck do you mean 'I don't understand'?!"

"How many days have you gone without food?" Crow asked. Yuya's expression faltered. "None, right?" Crow continued, "Of course, I bet if you did, it was your choice to. We don't have a choice here, we're lucky to have what we have, and for us, food comes first." Crow sighed. "Honestly, your way of thinking just proves you've had an easy life."

"That's not true!" Yuya insisted. "I-"

"Alright then," Crow sighed once more, "we'll get another opinion. Hey, Tim! You're impartial. What's more important: having enough food to eat, or smiling?"

Tim swallowed a mouthful of beans. "I don't really care, but I think you guys are oversimplifying things-"

"I never said smiling was 'more important'! I said that smiling was happiness!" Yuya shouted.

"That makes even _less_ sense! What the Hell does that mean?!" Crow shouted back.

"Why don't you both just settle it with a Duel?" Shinji suggested.

"Yeah! Okay! And then whoever wins is who's right!" Crow smiled.

"Fine with me! I'll show you the power of my Entertainment Dueling!" Yuya shouted, leading the way outside.

"Alright, kids! Follow me and place your bets!" Crow cheered, Amanda, Frank, Riley and Taren following him outside as well, clutching various bits of food in their hands.

" _What's_ going on?" Tim asked.

"I think Crow and Yuya are gonna Duel." I told him.

"That card game, right?"

"Yep. You want to watch?"

Tim grunted, getting up from his chair. "Yeah, might as well see what all the hype is about."

"I really just wanted them to stop talking…" Shinji cringed, himself, Tim, Eric and I quickly leaving Crow's place and heading over to the vacant lot of land next to it, Yuya and Crow staring each other down as the kids sat against the fence.

"So is this a thing where I can pick it up as I go along, or is this gonna be really complicated?" Tim asked.

"Um…" I pondered how to say it. "It's probably easy once you get the hang of it, but, I mean, you're probably not going to know what's going on. It _looks_ cool though."

"Alright! Are you guys ready? You might be able to catch a glimpse of a Pendulum Summon!" Yuya shouted.

"What the Hell's a Pendulum Summon…?" I mumbled.

"Wow! What's that?" Amanda asked.

"Show us!" Taren shouted.

"What an ugly child…" Tim muttered, looking Taren's way as we approached.

I nudged him. "Don't be mean…"

"Look at him!" Tim whisper-shouted. "His nose is a hamburger!"

"What are you saying?"

"Same with that Eric guy." Tim moved his head to motion at him. "Look at that face, it's just so…" Tim shivered, "ugh…"

"You know, you were making fun of my weight before you went ahead and basically violated me to change it. Does it make you feel good about yourself when you put other people down, Tim? Make you feel like a big man?"

"I hadn't really thought about it like that…" Tim said sullenly, his expression suddenly brightening, "but yes, _yes_ it does!"

"I'll show you the power of food!" Crow shouted, pointing at Yuya. "You stubborn fool!"

"I'll make you see that smiling is the most important thing in the world!" Yuya shouted, he and Crow activating their Duel Disks.

"Oh, sweet! _Boosto Gear_!" Tim shouted.

I turned to him, confused. "What are you even _saying_?"

" _Duel_!"

[Crow: 4000 LP]  
[Yuya: 4000 LP]

"I Summon Blackwing - Shura the Blue Flame in Attack Position!" Crow shouted as an almost anorexic-looking bipedal bird with giant black wings appeared on his field [ATK: 1600].

"Ah! What the _heck_?!" Tim asked.

"That's the Monster on the card." I explained. "The Duel Disk uses Solid Vision technology to create a three-dimensional hologram of the Monster and has it appear in the real world."

"Cool." Tim leaned forward, placing his head in his hands as he looked on with interest.

"Actually, this is _Real_ Solid Vision!" Crow smiled. "Check it out." Crow moved forward, ruffling the feathers of his Blackwing as my eyes widened, expecting it to pass through the hologram.

"W-wait, so that… that thing's a _real_ Monster?" I asked.

Crow turned to me. "I thought _you_ knew that, Tyler…"

"It was a replacement for the Duel Link Solid Vision System." Eric explained, cutting Crow off, which I was thankful for. "Remember, your Duel Disk's got access to both modes on it."

I looked down at my Duel Disk. "O-oh yeah! I knew that." I lied.

"I don't know what half of you are talking about, but this looks pretty cool." Tim actually sounded interested, but of course, his statement about Real Solid Vision being 'pretty cool' wasn't. If my experience Dueling Devack or Lester had taught me anything, it was that Shadow Duels or anything similar, where real damage is a factor and a Duelist could potentially hurt themselves or die was a bad idea. And this Real Solid Vision thing made it sound like _every_ Duel in this Dimension was basically a Shadow Duel. The old Akiza would eat her heart out, I thought.

Wait… did Akiza even _exist_ here?

"Anyway, getting back to the Duel, from my hand, I activate the effect of Blackwing - Bora the Spear! Since I control a Blackwing Monster other than it on my field, I'm allowed to Special Summon him!" an impressive-looking creature of red, yellow and blue feathers appeared on Crow's field, holding a black lance in its grip [ATK: 1700]. I had to say, it was very comforting to see Crow using Blackwings. "Lastly, I'll Set one card and end my turn."

"Alright! My turn!" Yuya drew before turning to look our way. " _Ladies and gentlemen_! Are you ready?!"

"A-are you talking to us?" Frank asked, his mouth full of potato chips.

"Yes I am," Yuya bowed. "I wish to invite you _all_ to see a _splendid_ performance from my Performapals! I Summon Performapal Friendonkey in Attack Position!" My eyes widened as a shifty-eyed-looking donkey appeared on Yuya's field [ATK: 1600]. "And, when Performapal Friendonkey is Normal Summoned, I can _also_ Special Summon a Monster. So, from my hand, I Special Summon Performapal Silver Claw in Attack Position!" a wolf with a yellow and pink bowtie around its neck appeared in front of Yuya [ATK: 1800]. Next, I activate the Spell Card Smile World!" Yuya cheered, different-colored smiley faces quickly taking up the field.

"Tyler, what does that do?" Tim asked.

"I don't know, Tim." I hushed.

" _I_ will tell you!" Yuya hyped. "This card increases the Attack Points of all Monsters by one hundred for each Monster on the field!" [Blackwing - Shura the Blue Flame: ATK: 2200] [Blackwing - Bora the Spear: ATK: 2100] [Performapal Friendonkey: ATK: 2000] [Performapal Silver Claw: ATK: 2200]. "Now I enter my Battle Phase! My Silverclaw Attacks your Bora the Spear! _But_ , when my Performapal Silver Claw declares an attack, all Performapal Monsters I control have their Attack Points increased by three hundred until the end of the Battle Phase!" [Performapal Friendonkey: ATK: 2300] [Performapal Silver Claw: ATK: 2500]. Yuya's wolf pounced atop Crow's winged-beast, and shredded him with a scratch of his glistening silver claws.

[Crow: 3600 LP]

"So, you basically just have the creatures fight each other?" Tim asked.

I nodded. "More or less. The goal is to get your opponent's Life Points to zero. Crow just lost four hundred Life Points because of the difference in Attack Points between his Monster and Yuya's and you're not even listening, are you?"

"I'm sorry, what?"

"And now! Performapal Friendonkey attacks Shura the Blue Flame!" Yuya pointed towards Crow's Monster and Friendonkey snickered, taking Crow's other Monster down as well.

[Crow: 3500 LP]

"I end my turn, so now the effect of Smile World ends and the Attack Points of my Performapal Monsters return to normal." Yuya explained, the smiley faces fading away [Performapal Friendonkey: ATK: 1600] [Performapal Silver Claw: ATK: 1800]. Yuya tapped his shoes together and bowed theatrically. "That's the end of act one."

"My turn!" Crow shouted. "I activate Cards for Black Feathers, banishing my Blackwing - Fane the Steel Chain from my hand to draw two cards from my Deck." Crow's Fane the Steel Chain appeared briefly on the field before all but its wings disappeared, and Crow drew from his Deck. "Lastly, I'll Set one Monster in Defense Position and end my turn."

"Anyone hear sirens?" Tim asked.

"Time for act two!" Yuya drew. "I Summon Performapal Salutiger in Attack Position!" a wide-eyed tiger dressed in a red military uniform, adorned as well with a yellow and pink bowtie, appeared next to the rest of Yuya's Monsters [ATK: 1700]. "And now I'll enter my Battle Phase and attack with Performapal Silver Claw! And you know what _that_ means! Now its effect activates, and all my Performapal Monsters gain three hundred Attack Points!" [Performapal Friendonkey: ATK: 1900] [Performapal Silver Claw: ATK: 2100] [Performapal Salutiger: ATK: 2000]. Crow's Set Monster, Blackwing - Decay the Ill Wind [DEF: 1000], was destroyed.

"Yeah, those are _definitely_ sirens. I think we should be concerned." Tim said, looking around.

Yuya pointed at Crow, who grimaced in the face of his Monsters. "Performapal Friendonkey! Attack directly!" he shouted, and Crow was knocked to the ground by the shifty-eyed donkey.

[Crow: 1600 LP]

"And now Performapal Salutiger! Attack directly!"

And just as Crow got to his feet, he was knocked down once again.

[Crow: 0 LP]

" _Alright_!" Yuya cheered, his and Crow's Monsters fading away. " _That's_ the power of smiles and happiness!"

Crow picked himself up and dusted himself down. "I just got dead draws with my Cards for Black Feathers. If I hadn't, I-"

"So _this_ is what you guys get up to when we're not around!"

We all turned to see two of Yuya's friends walking up to us. "Sylvio! Celina!" Yuya shouted.

"Where have _you two_ been?" Shinji asked.

"We went into the City to see if we could find any clues on Zuzu's whereabouts, as well as see if there were any strong Duelists who could join us."

"And?"

Celina shook her head. "Nothing. Supposedly, the best Duelist in Neo Domino is that person Jack Atlas, but as for Zuzu…" Celina sighed.

"Okay, I'm certain we're surrounded by police." Tim sighed, lying back against the fence. "Oh well."

"What are you going on about, Tim?" I asked. I looked around and realized that we were all surrounded by Sector Security officers.

"Oh, _shit_!" Crow shouted.

"Told ya so, Slimy Joe…" Tim muttered.

"What do _you_ want?" Eric asked.

One of the officers walked forward. "We're here to place you all under arrest for harboring these four fugitives. It would be in your best interest if you all came quietly." He stated with a rough, gravelly voice.

"I'm not going down without a fight-" Shinji said, before he was knocked out by a Sector Security officer.

"Shinji!" Crow shouted, before getting restrained and cuffed himself.

"Anyone else want to try and resist?" the officer asked. I panicked, unsure of whether to try and fight back or not. I looked to Tim for guidance, but he was just staring off into space, looking at an anthill, his arms conjoined and outstretched, freely allowing an officer to cuff him.

Even though the last time I Dueled was on the Ark Cradle against Akiza and Joel, and I had no idea how to use my counterpart's Deck, I wasn't just going to stand down. "Fuck this." I said defiantly, activating my Duel Disk.

"You really think you can stand up to us?" the officer laughed. "Alright…" he shrugged, tapping on his helmet. "This is Officer Kurihara apprehending Commoner Tyler Nochi. Let's see what you've got!"

"Ty!" I heard Eric's voice, and then a bunch of other Sector Security officers after his.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"If you want to get to him, you'll have to take us down first!"

Then, the officer who I assumed to be Kurihara spoke up. "It doesn't matter. I'll take care of this Commoner scum in no time!" he said proudly, activating his Duel Disk.

" _Duel_!"

[Tyler: 4000 LP]  
[Kurihara: 4000 LP]

"I'll start!" I said, drawing a card to begin my turn. My eyes widened as an alarm started blaring, the sound coming from the speaker on my Duel Disk. I looked down at the screen to see the words ' _Illegal move. -2000 LP_ ' on the screen.

[Tyler: 2000 LP]

"That's just like you Commoner scum, trying to cheat the system." Kurihara remarked.

"What the Hell are you talking about?! All I did was draw a card!" I protested.

"Just make your move!" Kurihara snapped.

I looked down at my hand. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to win with half of my Life Points cut from the get-go, but I at least had to try. "Alright, I Summon Chocolate Magician Girl in Attack Position!" I shouted, a young aqua-haired Spellcaster appearing on my field, two bat wings protruding from her back [ATK: 1600]. "Next, I activate her effect, allowing me to discard Dark Magician Girl from my hand to the Graveyard to draw a card." I placed Dark Magician Girl into my Graveyard and drew a card from my Deck, smiling. "But she won't be staying there for long! I activate the Spell Card Dark Magic Veil! By paying one thousand Life Points, Dark Magician Girl returns to my field!"

[Tyler: 1000 LP]

The black magic circle appeared in the sky, radiating a powerful luminescent glow as Dark Magician Girl appeared next to her younger companion [ATK: 2000].

"Not bad, for a _Commoner_ …"

"I'll end my turn by placing two cards face-down." I slid Dark Horizon and Magicians' Defense into play, leaving Apple Magician Girl and Magical Dimension in my hand.

"My turn." Kurihara drew a card from his Deck, but no alarm went off, so I wasn't quite sure what the deal was with mine. "I play the Spell Card Raigeki! All monsters you control are destroyed!" he shouted, thunder bolts raining down from the sky and obliterating my two Magician Girls. "Now _go_! Search Striker!"

I had no time to prepare myself as Kurihara's Monster, some sort of cybernetically-enhanced super soldier, appeared on his field [ATK: 1600] and shot me in the chest with one of his guns.

[Tyler: 0 LP]

* * *

"Well," Tim began, moving his shoulders about, " _you_ got your ass kicked, didn't you?"

I sat beside him, in the back of a Sector Security van, along with Crow, Shinji, Eric, Yuya, Celina and Sylvio. The eight of us had all been restrained, weird glowing red handcuffs around our wrists. In spite of this however, Security hadn't confiscated our Decks _or_ Duel Disks. Mine was restrained in a glowing red bubble instead due to its size.

I turned to Tim. " _Excuse_ me?"

"Well you said you'd played this game before, so I assumed you'd, I don't know, be _good_ at it. You were talking it up before, saying it was your Dimension's bread and butter."

"I've n-never had a game where I lose half my Life Points on the first go. Besides, I put up more of a fight than you did. You _let_ them capture you." I reminded him.

"Ever heard the expression 'don't let the wolf in the gate'?"

In spite of the predicament I found myself in, I felt like laughing. "I have."

"And what do you think they're doing?" Tim sighed, resting back against the van.

"This is _ridiculous_!" Sylvio shouted. "Let me out _right now_ , or my _father_ will hear about this!"

Tim turned to Sylvio. "Your last name better not be Malfoy…" he warned, "I've had enough of you lot to last me a lifetime."

"What?!" Sylvio seemed puzzled by Tim's statement, as was I, though I didn't say anything.

"Where are they even taking us?" Yuya asked.

Crow looked up from the floor and into Yuya's eyes. "The Facility."


	6. The Unforgiven

After learning that we were on our way to The Facility, I sat in the back of the Sector Security van like a statue, afraid of what was to come. I'd been afraid of going to The Facility before. Back in my Dimension, when Mina had found out from Akiza that Luna and I were in a relationship, she came over to question Luna, and I was terrified that I would be arrested for something. I knew, truthfully, that I hadn't done anything wrong, and Mina recognized that, I'm sure. Not only that, but there was no divide between the Satellite and New Domino at that point, and the treatment of those in The Facility was much more humane than it had been.

But in this Dimension, things were different. The Commoners and The Topsiders were at odds with each other in much the same way as their equivalents _used_ to be in my Dimension. More importantly than that however, I _had_ done something to warrant an arrest:

I'd killed my stepfather.

Whether or not Sector Security knew that remained to be seen. We'd only been arrested for 'harboring four fugitives', but who _were_ those four? Tim? Yuya? Celina? Sylvio? That… girl in the blue hoodie? _Me_? Did they know that I wasn't who I was pretending to be?

The van broke quickly and my body jolted.

"We've stopped…" Shinji noted.

The doors to the van opened quickly without warning. "Alright! Out. All of you." Kurihara ordered, and the eight of us were unfortunately forced to oblige. Well, _seven_ of us, really. I was certain that if Tim wanted to, he would have been able to break out of his handcuffs and overpower the officers, or at the very least escape. But no, Tim followed us out of the truck, humming a song to himself.

A shadow loomed over the eight of us, drowning out the last bit of sunlight from the sky. I glanced up briefly to see two massive towers, well, _towering_ over us, connected by some sort of central hub, and behind that was an even larger structure which cast the shadow across the courtyard. It was so large I couldn't even see what it was.

"Are these the ones?"

My sight was pulled from the right tower and directed toward another Sector Security officer, this one a woman who looked to be probably around the same age as Mina, wearing a dark green variant of the blue uniform that the rest of the Sector Security officers were wearing.

"Yes." Kurihara spoke up.

"Alright," the woman looked down at the tablet she was holding, scrolling through it with her fingers. "Celina Belfri, Crow Hogan, Tyler Nochi, and you, unlisted," the woman pointed to Tim, "you four are to come with me. Now."

"Four?" Yuya asked.

"You're the boss, lady." Tim shrugged, slowly walking forward.

Celina looked Yuya's way. "I'll be fine," she told him as she too started walking forward.

I looked to Crow, who shrugged and did the same. I sighed, deciding it best not to try and put up a fight, especially since my last attempt ended in spectacular failure. I couldn't put up a fight even if I wanted to anyway. But as long as I stayed with Tim, I figured, I'd be fine.

I moved quickly to make up ground, following behind Tim, Crow and Celina in a single file, other officers no doubt keeping their eyes on us to make sure we wouldn't try and escape.

The four of us were led into another room, a hall dimly lit with flickering fluorescent lights along the sides. At the end of the hall was an elevator. "Move it." I heard the officer sternly say, as she directed us toward the elevator.

The officer covered one of her hands on the keypad so that we weren't able to see where she was taking us, and once the doors closed and opened again, I found myself facing a block of four cells all next to each other, thick panes of glass separating the sides of each one. The setup reminded me all too much of the Arcadia Movement, how Sayer had imprisoned Carly, Leo, Luna and myself. I shivered.

I gasped as the red bubble around my Duel Disk dissolved, freeing my arm. I noticed as well that Tim's, Crow's and Celina's handcuffs had disappeared too.

"O-our Duel Disks…" Crow muttered.

The officer smiled callously, opening the doors of the cells. "They won't work here. This cell block has been specifically outfitted with Real Solid Vision Jammers. Now, I want each of you in a separate cell."

Tim shrugged, once again doing as he was told. I followed suit, as did Crow and Celina. As soon as we walked into our cells, the doors closed automatically. The sound of my door closing was loud and sudden. It almost made me jump out of my skin.

"Tyler, are you alright?" I heard Crow ask. My panic was clearly showing on my face.

"So, when do they bring us the menus?" Tim asked.

" _Silence_." The officer said. "The four of you will be allowed out _together_ , for two hours every day. One hour for a meal in the dining hall, and one hour for an activity in the recreation room. Apart from that, you will remain here."

"Why us specifically? What do you want with us?" Crow asked.

"You'll have to ask Director Rogét when he comes for you."

"Rogét…?" I whispered. I had once again wrongly assumed that with this Dimension mirroring mine in several ways, that the Dimensional Counterpart of Rex Goodwin would be the Director of this Dimension's Sector Security. I hadn't even heard of this Rogét person before, and it all just confused me further how alike and yet not alike our Dimensions really were.

"What does _he_ want with us?" Crow asked.

"That's why you're here. The Director's very interested to meet with all of you." The officer looked over at Tim, gazing at him for a brief moment before looking down at the floor and leaving swiftly through the elevator.

Thoughts flooded my mind, questions of why the Director of Sector Security would want to see me swirling around. I denied any possibility that it was to do with the murder of my stepfather, because if that _was_ the case, then Crow and Celina, who knew nothing about what I'd done, wouldn't be here as well.

The officer listed me off as 'Tyler Nochi' before, but Tim as 'unlisted' which told me that they _did_ in fact assume that I was my counterpart, but also that they had no idea, rightfully, who Tim was. But then why was _I_ here? What did my counterpart do to warrant me being separated from the rest?

"So, what's the deal with this place?" Tim asked, his voice to the right of me. "Is it basically just a prison?"

Crow, to the left of me, in his cell, nodded. "With a few exceptions, most of the people here are Commoners, brought here on false charges."

"False charges?" I asked, "Y-y-you mean-"

"Don't misunderstand me. There are two types of people here: those here on false charges, and those who have committed felonies. Arson, jaywalking, murder, rape, theft. It doesn't matter what you do. In the eyes of Sector Security, they're all as bad as each other, _if_ you're a _Commoner_. If you're a Topsider, Sector Security tends to overlook all but the most severe felonies." Crow explained.

Tim blew out a quick breath of air. "Man, your Dimension's messed up. And I've been to places where children are forced to kill other children, and babies are fed other _dead_ babies." Tim shook his head and Crow turned to him. Tim then stretched his arms out high above his head and yawned.

"Wait, so when you said you weren't from around here, you meant you were like Yuya? That you came from another Dimension?"

"Yep," Tim continued to yawn as he spoke, "but I'm nothing to do with _that_ guy."

Crow groaned. "This is… this is just…" Crow shook his head. "Last week, if I had have known that things were gonna turn out like this…"

Tim looked over into the corner of his cell. "Oh, we probably shouldn't be talking about this kind of stuff. We've got cameras and microphones at the back of our cells."

I turned around to face the back of my cell, looking up at the rather obvious security camera hanging in the corner of the room that I somehow hadn't noticed until now. I continued to stare up at it, wondering who or what was on the other side, watching me.

"You know what? We should all just strip down. Get naked. _That'll_ teach 'em for spying on us." Tim said, looking up at the camera in his room. I turned to him, narrowing my eyes.

"Please don't. That's r-r-r-retarded, and this is coming from an _actual_ retarded person." I stated, Crow sighing as I spoke.

"C'mon, man. Why do ya have to talk like that?" he asked.

"It's technically true." I shrugged, looking back over at the camera.

" _Woo_! Here we go~!" Tim cheered. I turned to Tim once more, grimacing and physically flinching at the sight of Tim's naked body as he presented himself to the camera in his cell.

"Nope. Fuck this. I'm out." I stated, disconnecting my Duel Disk and putting it aside, climbing into the bed that felt like a plank of wood, before pulling the bedsheets over my body and covering my face.

"It's pretty chilly in here, isn't it?" I heard Tim say.

"That's because you're _naked_!" I called back.

"Technically, the only place that has heating here is the showers." Crow explained. I couldn't tell what his reaction to Tim's display was, but his tone made it sound like he was less than pleased.

"Hmm, yeah…" Tim mused. "I might put my clothes back on then… I wonder if they've got cameras in the showering block…"

"They don't," Crow said, and then under his breath I heard him mutter "thank God…"

I stayed under the covers, not even peeking out to look and see if Tim was clothed or not. I was just about done.

"Yo, little missy! You gonna say somethin'?" Tim asked.

"What do you want me to say?" Celina's voice came across cold, distant, and a little pompous.

Tim audibly shrugged. "Anything. You do talk, don't you? When people talk to you, it's polite to say something back in response. That's what a conversation is. Tyler the terror speaks, and he's got that speech impedimenta."

"Ew, don't call me that again." I groaned.

"You can imagine how difficult it must be for him to talk, but _he_ still does it. Have _you_ got a speech impediment?" Tim asked.

Celina sighed. "No-"

"Then stop being so cold!" Tim asserted. "Seriously, the last person who acted like you are _now_ to _me_ , I _killed_." Tim said sternly, before clearing his throat. "That was off the record, by the way." He said. I assumed he was now talking to the camera in his cell.

"Y-you've _killed_ people before?" Crow asked.

"Well when you say it like _that_ , it sounds _bad_. I've done it, but, I mean, it's nothin' impressive. It's easier taking life than giving it. Have you ever tried to give birth? 'cause _I_ have, and lemme tell ya, I was sore the next day."

"… _What_?!" Crow shouted.

I groaned, clamping my hands over my ears and pressing my head on my hard pillow. I wanted Tim to shut the fuck up. He was so loud, I was tired of listening to him, and he wasn't funny. It was his fault I was in this mess in the first place. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have ended up in The Facility here.

I sighed, tensing my eyes closed as I shut out the conversation between Tim and Crow (which unfortunately had to go through _my_ cell as they were on adjacent sides to me) as best I could. And eventually, thankfully, I found myself drifting off to sleep.

* * *

"Tyler…" a feminine voice whispered. It was soft, kind and gentle. I groaned. "Tyler, can you hear me…?" the voice repeated. I opened my eyes slowly to find a woman staring down at me with a warm smile. "Oh, good, you can. I was hoping you could."

She had dark hair and wore an outfit similar to that of the Dark Magician Girl, though instead of being blue and pink like hers was, this Magician Girl's outfit was red. She also had a pair of wings on her back, and smaller wings adorning her outfit. I realized quickly that she resembled Apple Magician Girl, one of the cards in my counterpart's Deck.

I blinked. The red shine of her outfit reminded me of Explosivo, but I tried not to let that bother me. "Um, hi…" I spoke softly, "a-are you a Duel Spirit?" I asked.

The young woman nodded. "I'm Apple Magician Girl. It's nice to meet you." She continued to smile.

"I-i-it's nice to meet you… too…" I stammered. "Wh-where am I? Am I dreaming?"

"Mhm. You're sleeping right now, but I thought I'd bring your consciousness here to our world so we could get better acquainted."

I sat up. "Your world? The Spirit World?"

"That's right." Apple Magician Girl offered a hand out for me to take, but thanks to the familiar red shine of her outfit, I hesitated. "Don't worry; I'm not going to hurt you." She cooed, and I found myself taking her hand as she helped me to my feet. Apple Magician Girl giggled. "I can sense your soul's the same as his. I'm glad."

_His_. "Do you mean… your Tyler, my counterpart?" I asked softly.

Apple Magician Girl nodded once more, but her serene smile faded, her voice dampening. "That's right. We watched you and your friend find him. We all tried desperately to stop him from harming himself, but he'd just given up all hope. That's why I was worried that you wouldn't be able to hear me. _Our_ Tyler closed off his heart, and we couldn't get through to him. His heart was in pieces because of what Kobi had done to him."

"It wasn't just his heart…" I muttered.

"I know. Kobi did some truly terrible things to him."

My eyes narrowed a little. "And there was no way you could have done _anything_ to stop him?"

Apple Magician Girl seemed taken aback by my question. I probably could have phrased it better without making it sound like I was blaming her. I assumed that in this Dimension she had undertaken a similar role to the one Explosivo had for me. Of course, for _me_ , it was all just a means to an end with Explosivo. I was nothing but a pawn, used so that I could free Luna from Zeman's clutches. I hoped it wasn't the case here with my counterpart and his Duel Spirits, just being used as a pawn in some cosmic game of Chess.

"I-I wanted to, we all did, believe me! But we couldn't! Our Tyler, he…" tears started to form in Apple Magician Girl's eyes and I immediately felt like shit, "the night it first happened was the last night he acknowledged us… he closed off his heart then and there, and we were powerless to do anything for him… I couldn't even use my power to bring him here, and when we spoke to him, it was like he couldn't even hear us."

"I am so sorry, I-I didn't mean-"

"No, it's okay," Apple Magician Girl wiped some of her tears away. "I can sense that your soul is the same as his, so I can only imagine you've gone through the same thing he has… that's why I'm so happy I was able to bring you here, and that you can hear me…" she sniffed.

I sighed, wishing I had some tissues or something to offer the poor Duel Spirit. I licked my lips and scrunched my face. "I really am sorry, I… I haven't been through _exactly_ the same things as him, but I've gone through similar, and I've had my own issues with Duel Spirits who were… _less_ than reliable in the past…" I said, putting it gently.

"You poor thing…" she muttered, my eyes going wide as she pulled me into a hug. "I don't know what it's like where you come from, but here, Spirits and Humans are supposed to help each other. Where _did_ you come from anyway?" Apple Magician Girl asked, moving her arms from my body.

I scratched the back of my head. "To tell you the truth, I don't know _exactly_ where it is I came from, at least in relation to where I am now, but it's a Dimension quite similar to this one. It has its own Spirit World as well, but I never had any cards like you or the others in my possession. I-I mean, you know, you and Berry, Chocolate, Kiwi, Lemon Magician Girl… I had no idea there were Duel Spirits or cards like you that existed, and, um… I know you had no say in me basically just taking you, but I…" I trailed off, looking at Apple Magician Girl's flawlessly beautiful face.

I averted my eyes as I was reminded of Seria, Akiza and Luna, three beautiful women who all tried to help me, and all I ended up doing was hurting them. In spite of my conviction, Akiza and Seria stood by me, and until the end, so did Luna, but their compassion was more than I deserved.

And I certainly didn't deserve any compassion from Duel Spirits.

I shook my head, turning away from the Duel Spirit. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken you. You weren't mine, you were his. And I don't know what he was like, but you and the other Duel Spirits shouldn't get involved with me. You don't know me and you shouldn't feel obligated to _get_ to know me, or help me just because I have the same face as him."

"Tyler…"

"I've done some terrible things. Not all of it undeserved, but you seem really nice and I'd hate for you to get involved with someone like me. Trust me; you're better off without me. Just send my consciousness back to the Human World. I'll take care of your card and the others while I'm here in The Facility, but we can't become any more involved than just a Duelist with cards… a-and you shouldn't see me as anything other than a random guy either."

"Please don't close off your heart…"

I turned back to her. "Why not? What's the point of doing anything when there are probably infinite universes and none of it matters?" I sighed. "Please just send me back…"

Apple Magician Girl's face twitched, as though she was fighting back the urge to cry. "Okay… I'll send your consciousness back to your world… I'm just really sorry you feel that way… Me and the rest of the Spirits will be happy to lend you our support if you need it… It was nice meeting you, Tyler…"

There was a sudden blinding flash of light and I felt as though I'd been pulled through the floor. When the light faded I found myself looking up at the ceiling of my cell, lying on the uncomfortable bed.

A loud bang on the door of my cell quickly made me sit up, the female Sector Security officer standing on the other side. "Alright, you four, it's time for your meal. Get up and follow me. No funny business."

* * *

I could feel the eyes of several correctional officers on me as I stood in line to get lunch.

We weren't given any instructions about what to do or anything, so when I got to the front of the line, I just held my tray out in front of me, the man behind the counter plopping cold rice, old french fries, half a stale bread roll and a bowl of stew that looked like vomit onto my tray. "Thank you." I bowed, taking the food and moving out of the line.

"Oi, gimme one of your cards." Tim said as I passed him.

"W-w-what for?" I asked.

"I heard you can trade cards for more or better quality food here, and I need my protein, so gimme a card, will ya?"

"No way!" I shifted back, "remember what I was telling you before? And remember the Duel Crow had with Yuya? They're not _just_ cards. They're real physical beings, and you're asking me to give one away so you can get more food-"

"Alright, alright!" Tim huffed. "Jeez, what's up _your_ butt?"

My heart skipped a beat. "Don't even joke about that." I said sternly.

"I'll say whatever I want. Besides, you weren't even raped. It was your-"

"I don't care! It's not funny, Tim!" I snapped, turning and walking off in a huff, my hands shaking, rattling the tray.

I couldn't _believe_ that Tim would even _joke_ about that. How _dare_ he? I mean, I knew _I_ wasn't the one who'd been raped. I wasn't an idiot, I was fully aware of the fact that the Tyler in this Dimension and me were completely different people. But that didn't make it any less unnerving to see the corpse of someone who had the same face as me, and find out later that they'd been raped by a version of the same person who'd physically abused me. It could have _easily_ been me in my Dimension, and that's what angered, scared and horrified me the most.

Nothing more could be done about it though. I'd killed Kobi, though sadly hadn't prevented my counterpart from falling prey to him. And there was still the issue of all the other versions of myself and Kobi, and what they were going through. I only hoped that there was at least one Dimension where Kobi and I actually got along.

I shook my head, realizing how pointless it was to think about it all. It didn't matter. None of it did.

The most important thing now (which showed how truly pathetic and insignificant my life was) was finding a place to sit. It was like school all over again.

I looked around. I couldn't see Crow or Celina, nor could I see Eric, Shinji, Yuya or that other guy. I _could_ however see an empty table right at the end of the hall, and I decided that would be the best place for me to sit. I assumed everyone else was still in one of the lines to get food, and they could sit with me after if they wanted. Tim could as well, but I honestly didn't care either way.

I had barely made it past one of the tables before I lost my footing, stumbling forward and dropping my tray of food, spilling it all onto the floor.

"Oops! Sor~ry!"

I turned to look up at an older man, bald, a Criminal Mark on his right cheek, and who had a leg out to obviously trip me up.

"You should watch where you're goin'!" the man taunted.

I shakily got to my feet. It was all just getting too much for me. I was trapped in a world I didn't belong and didn't understand, surrounded by strangers, and had to watch a version of myself hanging from a ceiling. Now some random cunt had purposely tripped me over, preventing me from eating food, of which I couldn't even _remember_ the last time I'd eaten.

I could feel my control starting to slip.

"Hey!" Tim shouted. I turned to him as he broke the glass with his fist, reached in and grabbed the fryer basket by the handle. "Supersize _this_!" he roared, throwing the oil over the prisoner who'd tripped me over. The man howled in pain, his body steaming, his clothes soaked in boiling oil as he covered his eyes to no avail, dropping to the ground, motionless, probably dead.

"Holy shit…!" I said breathlessly.

"Anyone want fries with that?!" Tim asked to the onlookers, before getting tackled to the ground by a mob of correctional officers.

I watched Tim struggle, standing back and doing nothing to help. To be fair, I'd seen Tim shrug off bullets, which was something I considered to be a superhuman feat, and figured that Tim would be more than capable of taking the guards. But whether it was because Tim once again willingly let himself get overpowered, or because he was genuinely outmanned, one of the officers managed to restrain him, while two others landed several punches in his chest before dragging him off.

* * *

I faced the ceiling of my cell, lying on my bed, thumbing through the cards in my counterpart's Deck, pausing as Apple Magician Girl's card came into view. I sighed, scooping my Deck together and shuffling it, putting my Deck aside and rolling over on my bed.

After Tim's… murder, he murdered a guy; I was sent straight back to my cell. Crow's cell was empty, and there was no sign of Tim. Celina was just lying on her bed and looking up at the ceiling, same as me.

I was grateful that Tim had stepped in, I really was. I had no idea what I would have done to either myself or that guy had Tim not intervened, but Tim shouldn't have done it. I wasn't worth going to the effort of protecting or saving, and even if I was, him throwing boiling oil in someone's face was certainly disproportionate retribution. In fact, it was a major overreaction. After all, what happened to me didn't affect Tim either way. If I didn't know any better, it almost seemed like Tim had done it intentionally, not to protect me or defend my honor or anything like that, but instead to get a rise out of the correctional officers.

I had no idea what Tim was planning, but whatever his motivation, him standing up for me like that was pretty cool.

I looked to the other side of me, Crow's empty cell disconcerting me. I was sure that Tim could take care of himself, but with Crow, I don't know, it just felt different. Tim was forcefully taken away for committing a murder, and I couldn't imagine Crow doing something like that, no matter how impulsive the Crow _I_ knew was. I hadn't seen him at all during mealtime even though we'd all gone in together. Only Celina and I had come back.

"Hey," I called across to Celina, turning to her in her cell, "do you know where Crow is?"

Celina looked back at me for a moment and said "No," before looking back up at the ceiling once more.

I sighed lengthily, turning and looking back up at the ceiling until the doors of the elevator at the end of the block opened, the female officer stepping out, her stance commanding presence.

I sat up. "What have you done with Tim?" I asked. "And where's Crow?"

The woman smiled. "They're both being questioned. It'll be your turns soon." She said simply. "But for now, it's time for mandatory recreation." The officer, who I guess at this point was our warden, unlocked the doors to Celina's and my cells. "Grab your Duel Disks, Decks, and follow me." She ordered.

Celina got to her feet and strapped on her Duel Disk, as did I, slotting in my Deck. I was sure I could hear the hushed voices of the Duel Spirits swirling around in the back of my head, probably talking amongst themselves about what they were going to do with me, but I paid them no further attention, instead following Celina's lead as we trailed the officer back into the elevator. The officer pressed a button on the keypad and the doors quickly closed.

As we changed floors, my Duel Disk's screen flickered, and the elevator doors opened, revealing to us a short hallway, at the end of which there was a large room with a high gloss hardwood floor, tall walls, no windows (like every other room in the place), and all the doorways guarded by correctional officers. I noticed there were multiple Duel Fields drawn out on the floor.

Groups of inmates were standing together and chatting, most of them with Duel Disks attached to their arms. Some were in the middle of Duels, others were sitting around and trading.

"Alright, the two of you have one hour to mingle with the other inmates and get some Duels in, unless the Director calls for you." Our warden explained, Celina looking down at her Duel Disk. "But don't even _think_ of using your Duel Disks to attack us. This is the only room in The Facility where Duel Disks can be used, and there's no access to Real Solid Vision here. Your Monsters'll just be holograms."

Celina twitched. "Whatever…"

Our warden snickered at the two of us before heading back down the hall we came in from.

I turned to Celina. "What do you wanna do?"

"You can do what you like," Celina said simply, "I'm going to go find some _strong_ Duelists."

I could tell immediately from her haughty tone that she was referring to my Duel against Kurihara and how he defeated me in one turn. She obviously didn't consider me a 'strong' Duelist. But I didn't give a flying fuck what she thought about me.

"Y-you do that." I said coldly in spite of my stutter. Celina shrugged and walked over to a group of inmates.

I looked around. Again, there was absolutely no sign of Eric or the others. I hoped they were alright.

"Well, well, well…" a voice came from behind me, chilling me to my very core. I recognized it immediately. "Never thought I'd see _you_ in a place like _this_."

"Well I always knew you'd end up here." I turned to him. "Joel."

"Is that right?" he asked with a smarmy, self-assured tone. It reminded me so much of _my_ Joel in my Dimension, back when we'd first met after I got amnesia. I was passive, so afraid, because I didn't know him and I didn't know what he'd done.

But now I did.

And he was so assertive, so headstrong at that time, I really did believe that I was to blame for something, for whatever it was that happened. But I wasn't, and I knew that now. He'd somehow got it into his head that me running away because I'd been physically abused was _my_ fault.

I could have backed down. I could have let things repeat themselves, but then nothing would change.

I spoke back with the same tone and conviction as my stepbrother. "Yeah, it is. I mean, you've always been a pathetic drug addict, so it was only a matter of time-"

Just as my Joel had done almost two years ago, this Joel suddenly grew angry, his expression hardening, grabbing me by my vest. "Alright you fucking shithead, _listen_ here!" Joel shouted.

"What? Are you gonna hit me again?" I goaded, almost laughing. "Go on," I told him, "Do it."

And he did. And even though it hurt, it didn't hurt _nearly_ as much as what he and his dad _used_ to do to me. And it _certainly_ wouldn't have compared at _all_ to what my counterpart went through.

"How do you like that, cunt? That's what you get for breaking your promise!"

My mouth tasted of blood and I licked my lips. "My _promise_? You mean my promise to keep quiet about what you and your father did to me? To not tell a soul about it and stay in the City so that the two of you could continue to abuse me? Do you mean _that_ promise? How messed up is your mind that you _honestly_ think I'm to blame for what happened?"

Joel twitched, and looked like he was ready to throw me another punch, but by this point, most of the correctional officers in the room were looking our way, and even someone like Joel knew better than to try and hit me again. Instead, Joel smirked, took a step back and said "try taking the high ground all you like. The fact that you're in here with me means you're on my level now."

I knew what he was doing. He was trying to goad me, deliberately get under my skin. Truthfully, he didn't have to try very hard. His entire existence irritated me. "Is that right? I'm on the same level as a rapist's drug-addicted physically-abusive son?"

"You shut your fucking mouth!" Joel roared, punching me in the face once more.

"Hey! That's enough out of both of you!" two correctional officers came over to break us up, and I could see Celina looking over at me with an expression I couldn't discern. I wasn't sure how loud I'd been, so I wasn't sure if anyone besides Joel and myself had heard what I'd said or if they'd only seen him punch me.

"Get your hands off me!" Joel barked, struggling in the grip of a heavy-set guard. "My father's a member of the Public Administrations Bureau in Neo Domino!" he shouted. I brought my hands up near my head, showing the correctional officer that I had no intention of struggling or fighting back. I felt blood start to run from my nose but did nothing to stop it. The correctional officer who'd restrained Joel let him go, and he staggered forward. "At least I _have_ a father, you retarded degenerate! Daisuke was lucky enough to die when he did so he didn't have to raise _you_!" My nostrils flared at the mention of my father's name and Joel smirked, noticing my reaction. "Ah, did I touch a nerve?" He fucking _knew_ he did! "I thought I might. After all, you're still wearing _that_ old thing." Joel's eyes focused briefly on my Duel Disk, and my eyes widened. "Still Daisuke's-"

"Sh-sh-shut up!" I tried to snap, Joel's eyes piquing with interest.

"Is that a stutter?" Joel laughed, "Man, I thought it'd be _impossible_ for you to get any more retarded than you already were, but I guess you proved me wrong, huh?"

I licked my lips once more as blood ran to the corner of my mouth. I kept telling myself he was saying everything deliberately to get under my skin, but _damn_ was it working! The longer I looked into his infuriating blue eyes, the more I realized how different my life could have been.

If I had've never ran into him at that damn card shop, my life would have been completely different. Sure, I would have still regained my memories thanks to Zone, probably, but I wouldn't have even really known Joel, or had any sort of connection to him while I had amnesia. The fact that he kept quiet about it the whole time, pretending to be all buddy-buddy when he was really just like the Joel standing in front of me, was the main reason I felt he had to die for what he did. If I had have never met up with Joel, if I did get my memories back, I'd be angry, sure, but I wouldn't have been so eager to throw my life away, destroy New Domino City, and cast aside all my friends and my relationship with Luna.

"You and Kobi ruined my life." I said bluntly, activating my Duel Disk. "It's time for you to pay!"

"Please. You're not _seriously_ suggesting that we Duel?" Joel asked incredulously, loudly. I realized he was trying to get the attention of some of the other inmates, like he wanted to humiliate me in front of a crowd or something. "I mean, I _know_ it's been a while, but you can't have forgotten _all_ the times I thrashed you?"

"The last time we Dueled, I got too bloodthirsty to think clearly, and the time before that, the Duel dragged on and I only won by using an overpowered card. This time, I'll be sure to finish you quickly." I said, catching Celina looking over at me.

Joel laughed. "What the _Hell_ are you talking about? You've _never_ been able to beat me. Did you get into my stash?" he teased.

"Shut up!" I snapped. "You've had this c-c-coming for a long time! _Duel_!"

Joel activated his Duel Disk. "Alright, I'll shut you down for good this time."

[Tyler: 4000 LP]  
[Joel: 4000 LP]

"I'll start!" Joel shouted. "I Set one monster face-down, and Set another card in my backrow." He said, doing exactly that. "Go."

I closed my eyes, thinking to myself – and hoping that the Spirits could hear – that if the Spirits really _did_ want to help me, support me, I'd need their strength now more than ever.

I opened my eyes and drew from my Deck, looking over the cards I had in my hand. "I play four cards face-down, and Summon Celtic Guard of Noble Arms!" I threw the card onto the Duel Disk, the elfin warrior appearing, dual-wielding swords in both hands [ATK: 2100].

" _Really_? You're coming out of the gate with _him_?" Joel jested. "You realize you can't attack with him, right? Not when you've got a card in your hand-"

"I wasn't finished." I told him. "I activate the effect of my Celtic Guard of Noble Arms, letting me Special Summon my Celtic Guardian from my hand." Another elfin warrior appeared beside my first, this one reverently clutching a sword in his hands [ATK: 1400]. "I enter my Battle Phase! Celtic Guardian, attack!" I shouted.

Celtic Guardian jumped into the air before bringing his sword down on Joel's Set Monster. The monster, revealed to be an Armed Dragon LV3 [DEF: 900], was destroyed easily. Joel muttered something under his breath.

"Celtic Guard of Noble Arms, attack directly!" I shouted once again, refusing to let things settle. Celtic Guard dashed forward, his swords passing through Joel's form, as I was reminded that in this Duel, our monsters were holograms. I grimaced, realizing that if they weren't, like in Crow's Duel against Yuya, Joel would have probably been severely injured if not killed outright as his front and sides were slashed by my monster.

[Joel: 1900 LP]

I continued, once more refusing to let things settle. "Next, thanks to the secondary effect of my Celtic Guard of Noble Arms, I get to draw two cards." I explained, drawing two cards – equal to the number of Celtic Guard monsters I had out on the field. As I drew, my eyes widened, and I revealed one of the cards I drew to Joel. "I've drawn Palladium Oracle Mahad, and his effect allows me to Special Summon him whenever he's drawn!" a dark-skinned Spellcaster wearing gold-plated armor appeared on my field, twirling a scepter about for a moment [ATK: 2500]. "And by the way, Joel, it's still the Battle Phase, so Mahad can attack you directly as well."

"What?!" Joel gasped as Mahad jumped into the air as my Celtic Guardian had done, twirling his scepter about once more as a yellow light burst forth from it, flying towards Joel. "Damn, I was saving this… reveal Trap Card! Call of the Haunted!" Joel shouted, his Armed Dragon LV3 [ATK: 1200] returning to the field and intercepting my attack.

[Joel: 600 LP]

I tensed my free hand, angry at my failed attempt to defeat Joel as quickly as possible. "I end my turn."

"Finally…" Joel smirked as he drew. "Raigeki!" he shouted, thunder bolts raining down from above and incinerating all my monsters, leaving only the skeletal black husk of Mahad.

It was my turn to smirk. "Nice try, but when Palladium Oracle Mahad is destroyed, his true form is revealed and I get to Special Summon a Dark Magician!" I shouted. The black husk turned to mist, and from that mist came the form of a great magician with light blue skin, clad in black armor and holding a black scepter of his own [ATK: 2500].

" _Fine_." Joel tossed his head back, "I Set a monster and end my turn."

I drew. "I attack with Dark Magician!" My Spellcaster brought both hands to his front, gripping the scepter between his hands as a ball of dark energy formed at the tip. "Then, I chain my face-down, Magician's Circle! So from my Deck, I Special Summon Dark Magician Girl!" the blonde-haired scantily-clad Spellcaster appeared in a pink heart-shaped wave [ATK: 2000], just as Joel's Set monster, Flying Kamakiri #1 [DEF: 900], was destroyed by my Dark Magician's Black Magic Attack.

I assumed that Joel could see the hopelessness of his situation, that he knew there was no way he could win. I _hoped_ he could see it. Feel the hopelessness, the dread. That's all I used to feel from him, and I assumed my counterpart had felt the same way I did.

Nevertheless, rather than give up as I had hoped, Joel continued, though it was all for nought. "I use Flying Kamakiri #1's effect to Special Summon another Flying Kamakiri #1 to the field!" Joel shouted, another giant four-armed bug-eyed insect appearing on his field [ATK: 1400].

"Dark Magician Girl, attack!" I shouted, the blonde Spellcaster happily complying, pointing her wand at Joel's Monster as a wave of yellow, red and black struck it, depleting Joel's Life Points.

[Joel: 0 LP]

Both my Magicians looked back at me for a brief moment and I smiled at them, nodding. "Thanks…" I whispered, before they faded away.

"Damn it…" Joel muttered. "How…? You've always been a third-rate Duelist with a fourth-rate Deck… I used to beat you so badly I made you _cry_!"

"You think _that's_ why I used to cry?" I asked.

"There's no way… no way I could lose to you…" Joel shook his head softly, looking past me aimlessly, as though I wasn't even there.

I chuckled lightly as tears welled up in my eyes. There was so much hatred flowing out of me that I was past the point of anger. I walked over to Joel, closing the gap between the two of us and sniffed. "You really have no idea how much I hate you, and that's what upsets me the most. You were so caught up in maintaining your own pathetic life that you failed to see what you were doing to other people. You created my hatred for you, you created my darkness, but I _dwell_ in the darkness, and darkness is where I belong."

Joel's eyes refocused on mine. "You…"

"You saw what happened with your father, Kobi… and do you remember what you said to me? When I asked you to help me? You said 'Just stay quiet and take it. You don't want your mom to get hurt, do you?'…" I exhaled shakily. "And when I threatened to go and tell Sector Security, you beat the shit out of me. You didn't care. You didn't stop him. And he just kept doing what he did, and I thought I was powerless to stop him."

"You ruined everything…" Joel muttered breathlessly.

"Your perfect life, you mean? You never had to deal with what I did. That body was raped and abused, and you got everything you ever wanted handed to you. You never had to work for anything, or struggle to survive, wonder when your next meal will be or _if_ there will even _be_ one, wonder if you made the right choice leaving your mother to deal with a complete monster and his _cunt_ of a son-"

"Shut up-"

"I don't want to know why you did it. I mean, I _do_ , but I've done plenty of things in my life that I can't explain why I did them, so… I'll understand if this is one of those things. All I want from you is an apology. And if you don't give me one, I'll kill you just like I killed _him_."

It was a stupid thing to say, admitting to a murder that no one knew about whilst _literally_ standing in a prison and being surrounded by other inmates and officers, but Joel's reaction was absolutely priceless. The look of shock on his face as I could visibly see his brain ticking over to comprehend what I'd said.

"What do you mean?" he asked, but _he knew_ what I meant. I flashed my stepbrother a smile, hoping my teeth were still stained red from his punch. I'm sure someone like him could piece it together. I leaned forward, spitting some blood onto the floor.

"Prisoner Nochi," I turned to face another correctional officer, "the Director will see you now…"


	7. Restless Soul

I followed behind the correctional officer at a quickened pace, my heart pounding in my chest, sweat running from my forehead, wetting the caked blood on my face. There'd been plenty of times in my life that I'd been a nervous wreck, but this wasn't one of them. I wasn't nervous at all about meeting this Dimension's Director of Sector Security. I couldn't be, not when I was riding the high of letting Joel know I'd killed his dad. I was excited, relieved that that bastard finally had some inkling of my true feelings for him.

And once I'd finished speaking with Rogét about whatever the Hell it was he wanted, I'd kill Joel too. He deserved it.

I was pulled from my thoughts as I saw another correctional officer walking my way, Tim walking behind him, singing. "🎶Chickity China, the Chinese chicken. You have a drumstick and your brain stops tickin'. Information age of hysteria. It's calling out to idiot America.🎶"

"Tim! A-are you okay?" I asked. It was the first time I'd seen him since he got dragged away by those officers after killing that other inmate.

Tim stopped singing and beamed at me. "Hey, Tyler, what's up? Spill a little ketchup?" he asked, presumably thinking that that was what was on my face.

"It's blood." I said quickly.

"Nice. Blood's good for ya. It's natural, like sugar." Tim smiled, and those were unfortunately all the words we were able to exchange with each other, as the correctional officer in front of Tim urged him to move, as did mine, and we were quickly moved apart. I didn't get to ask what happened to him, or find out what it was the Director wanted from him.

My correctional officer stopped as we came to a wide door with an intercom beside it. Pressing a button, they then spoke into the intercom. "He's here, Director." The correctional officer then turned back to me as the door opened. "In here." They said.

I did as I was told, moving into the room.

It was a small room, most of its space being taken up by a table in the center. Sitting at one end of the table was an older man with short ash-blond hair, wearing a purple coat over a gray shirt with gray pants and dark gray shoes. His green eyes moved from the chess set he was playing with to me, and he smiled.

"Thank you. You may leave us." Rogét said, the officer bowing and leaving the room. "Please, have a seat." Rogét motioned to the seat opposite him, which I sat down in. He let go of the chess piece he was holding and placed his head in his hands for a moment as he continued to gaze at me. "My name is Jean-Michel Rogét, and I'm the Director of Sector Security here in Neo Domino City."

"I know." I told him, even though I hadn't known until my warden had told me.

"It's regular policy to question all those entering The Facility, be they a Commoner or a Topsider. I'm sure you understand."

I licked my lips, tasting more of my dried blood. "How many get questioned by the Director himself?"

Rogét continued to smile. "How many? Just those I feel that… _need_ to be questioned by me, Nochi. It's my duty, you see, as Director, to learn about strange events that occur in the City. Events that may threaten the… safety of this City. Do you understand?"

I wasn't quite sure what to say, so I just nodded.

"There was something our drones had found some time ago, that I didn't think anything of at the time. But, well, due to recent events, I actually have indeed found it quite perplexing. Perhaps you could help me with it?" Rogét slid one of his hands down underneath the table before reaching up again, a few pictures in his hands that he slid across the table to me. My eyes, wide in fear, were immediately drawn to them.

The first was a rather blurry, but still legible photograph of my counterpart hanging from the ceiling in the house that Tim had found him in, the photograph possibly taken by a drone, as Rogét had said.

The next was a much clearer photograph of Tim and me burying my counterpart, the image more focused on me than Tim.

The final one was an aerial shot of the boat that Tim and I had arrived in, but it wasn't at the shoreline.

"Commoners committing suicide to escape their pitiful existence isn't exactly, pardon the phrase, _uncommon_. But what _is_ , is, well…" Rogét had a smile stretching across his face as I looked back up at him and swallowed audibly. There was absolutely no way I could bullshit my way out of anything. The proof was right in front of me. We both knew it.

The afterglow that I'd experienced from my prior confrontation with Joel had vanished completely, and the sweat running from my pores was a hundred percent from nerves and fear. "Y-you took the boat…?" I whispered.

"I ordered for it to be… secured." Rogét took a while to choose his words. "It does, after all, look to be a marvelous piece of craftsmanship. I haven't seen anything quite like it before… at least, not from here. I need to be sure that it won't be used for nefarious purposes."

"What do you want?"

"I'd like to know who you are, why you're here, and what your intentions are. It's clear you bear an incredible resemblance to the Tyler Nochi of this world. Where did you come from?"

"I don't know."

Rogét's right eye twitched. "You don't know?" Rogét pulled his hands together at his lips as though he was pondering something.

"In relation to here, that's the truth. I don't even know where _this_ place is, to be honest."

"Not… another _Dimension_ , perhaps?" Rogét asked. I gasped, finding it suddenly very difficult to breathe as I looked down at my hands. I licked my lips once more, tasting a mixture of sweat and blood. "Our drones saw your boat just _appear_ out of the blue in the ocean three days ago, with you in it. People and things don't just materialize out of nowhere."

"Okay… so I'm from another Dimension…" I admitted. "What are you going to do? Kill me? 'cause I don't fit in with your idealized world?"

" _Kill_ you?" Rogét seemed shocked I'd even suggested it. "Don't be ridiculous. As I said, I just want to know who you are, why you're here, and your intentions."

"I am the Tyler Nochi of another world, I have no idea why I'm here, and my intention is to get home." I said, answering him straight. "I don't mean, or want, to cause any problems for anyone. In fact, the _only_ reason that I'm here right now is because _you_ arrested me and stole the only way for me to get home!"

"If I was to return the boat to you, Nochi, there would be nothing stopping you from, say, returning to this place with an army and threatening the peace I've struggled to uphold for so long-"

"I don't even know where 'this place' is!" I snapped. "And even if I _did_ , I'm not in control of an army or anything. I wouldn't come here to just mindlessly kill."

Rogét's smile widened, placing a tablet on the table and touching it. _"All I want from you is an apology. And if you don't give me one, I'll kill you just like I killed him."_ My voice came through the speaker.

"That's you, is it not? Conversing with your, I'm sorry, _his_ stepbrother, Joel Banzu, yes? Telling him that you had in fact committed a murder?"

"Y-y-y…" I sighed, "yes, it is…"

"Then you _must_ be able to understand my concerns, Nochi. I am simply _one_ man dreaming of Neo Domino City's future, and its place in the world. To have a murderer in our midst, someone with such a blatant disregard for human life such as yourself, to have just appeared out of nowhere one day, it doesn't paint the best picture of you, or your world."

I planted my hands firmly onto the table and looked directly into Rogét's eyes. "Look: as Director of Sector Security, I'm sure you have a lot more important things to do than worry about each individual person in the City, but Kobi Banzu was an abusive alcoholic rapist. To have him as a member of the Neo Domino City Public Administrations Bureau, _surely_ that reflects negatively on the organization as a whole. I'm not trying to excuse what I did. I know that killing is wrong. I hadn't planned on killing him _at all_ until I found out what he'd done. He effectively caused the Tyler Nochi here to end his life, so I thought that it was only fair, right and just, that I end Kobi's life. Now, Kobi _did_ tell me that the reason Joel is here is because he was arrested for selling drugs, and that does show me that Neo Domino City isn't just blatantly favoring the Topsiders over the Commoners, that it does have a sense of law and justice, and… I do, I _really_ do thank you for giving Joel some form of punishment. The Joel in my world… he's pretty much been able to get off scot-free." I looked down. "But it's not enough…"

" _Oh_?"

"I don't care about what you want to do with your City, but the fact that you group people like Crow and Eric – good people – in along with people like Joel…" I shook my head, " _and_ let rapists go free-"

"That's enough, Nochi. You've told me everything I need to hear. You're free to go – back to your cell." He said sternly. A shallow breath escaped me, my eyes refocusing on the pictures on the table. Rogét smiled. "You can take those with you, if you'd like. Hogan has already seen them, as has your… companion, whose story corroborates with yours."

"C-Cr-Crow…" I stammered.

_Ty, if you tell Crow or Shinji or anyone else, it's gonna destroy them._

Eric's words flashed through my mind. "Wh-what did you say to him?" I asked.

"Not much. Hogan came to his conclusion without any help from me. I will say though that he doesn't have the opinion of you that you have of him." Rogét laughed as I snatched the pictures from the table and stuffed them into my pocket. " _Very_ nice talking with you, _Nochi_." I heard him say as I made my way out of the room.

* * *

The female warden brought me back to my cell, ushering me inside as Tim sat on his bed, playing Black Sabbath's 'Iron Man' on a harmonica. "Yo, Jibby-Joe! Wanna jam with me?" Tim asked.

"Not right now, Tim…" I muttered, our warden leaving through the elevator. Celina's cell was empty, and I presumed she was on her way to being questioned by Rogét for whatever reason. I could see Crow looking at me out of the corner of my eye with disgust. He sighed and shook his head, like he was judging me. I turned to him, "Crow, I-"

"That's _Hogan_ to you. We're not friends, so you don't get to call me by my first name." Crow shook his head once more. "I should have noticed it before. Your stutter, your confusion, Hell, your _body_ is entirely different to his!" Crow shouted, breathing heavily and looking away for a moment. "I should have known you weren't the _real_ Tyler. You're just some stranger."

I'd had as much as I could take. If I was going to get yelled at by anyone, I would rather it have been someone from my own Dimension. "Oh, fuck you, Crow." It hurt to say it, but staring at the blank spot on his forehead made me feel not as bad. "You think _I_ want to be here? I'd _much_ rather be back in my own Dimension."

"Actually, I've been meaning to talk to you about that," Tim interjected, pausing as I turned to him. "Okay, I know you're gonna freak out when I tell you this, so just try not to, okay?" Tim sighed, and from his statement, I presumed the worst, inwardly readying myself. "I… banged when I should have binged."

I furrowed my brows, not at all understanding what he was talking about. "What?"

"It's my fault. I thought it wasn't and that you were just absent-minded and didn't know what was going on in your own Dimension, but before when I was singing, the whole thing with the boat popped into my head and I realized I flubbed a lyric."

My heart skipped a beat. "You mean… we're only here 'cause you messed up a fucking _song_?!"

"Well, it's really more of a _jingle_ than a song-"

"I can't believe this!" I shouted. "What the _Hell_ is wrong with you?! First you deny _one hundred percent_ that you're the reason we ended up here only for you to admit _now_ that you got a _lyric_ wrong, and then Rogét tells me that you've pretty much told him everything!"

Tim sighed, falling back on his bed in a huff. "Don't wrinkle your tinkle."

"Is this all just one big joke to you, Tim?! You just make jokes all the time while you fuck with people's lives? You might have brought me _back_ to life, but apart from that, all you've done is ruin it!" I snapped, hearing Crow gasp from behind me. I turned back to him, still heated. "Yeah, _yeah_! _I_ killed myself as well, Crow! Me and the Tyler from this world, we're pretty much the same person, only difference is that _your_ Tyler was _raped_ by his stepdad! And you want to know something else?! Where _I_ come from, my Dimension, my version of your Tops and Commons – my City – is unified. But in my Dimension, you were killed one year ago. You had an accident during an attack on the City and you fell from the highway! I went to your fucking funeral! Do you understand, Crow?! We were _able_ to unite Satellite with New Domino City – your Commons and Tops – but it cost you your life. It didn't mean anything! Unification between the Commoners and the Topsiders doesn't mean shit. Life is pointless, and we're all going to die eventually-"

"You really like the sound of your own voice, don't you?" Tim interrupted. I was about to snap at Tim, but he got up and slammed his hand on the glass separating our cells, causing it to crack as I jumped back in fear. "Shut up for a second, will ya?" Tim sighed. Tim tensed his muscles, and the cameras and microphones in all our cells shorted. "Everything's under control. I knew about all of it. All the drones spying on us, that there were cameras in the house with your twin's dead body. They came after the two of us because _they_ , or at least Roger, knew that we weren't from this Dimension. How would he know that if he hadn't have seen us arrive in the boat? Are you following me?"

I couldn't take my eyes away from the crack in the glass. "I-I think so…"

"Right, well that was the thing, the _only_ thing that I didn't know – where the boat was, but I had a good idea of how I could find out. That's why I let myself – that's why I let _us_ – get captured, and why I threw the oil onto that jerkoff. Otherwise, we could have waited forever for Roger to start questioning us. And of course, I had to tell him that, that that boat was the one that we came in, _but_ the thing is, is that he can't even use it. He needs the power source, which is the crystal ball. When you went off to take care of your 'family business', I went ahead and buried the ball. Not only that, but thanks to my awesome skills, I was able to get Roger to let it slip where he's keeping the boat. It's in the Securities' Storage Facility – adjacent to the Kaiba Corporation building. All we gotta do now is break outta here, find out _exactly_ where the Storage Facility is, go there, get the boat, get the crystal ball, and we're set." Tim collapsed back on his bed. " _Seriously_ , Tyler, gimme _some_ credit."

I felt both some of my anger and fear leave me. "Wait, so… this whole time since we got here, you've-"

"Been playing them like a monkey plays the tambourine." Tim flashed me a smile.

I couldn't believe it. I'd been so focused on me and what I was doing, over-investing in my counterpart's life in this Dimension, freaking out about potentially being trapped here, and never getting to see my friends, or Luna, again. Meanwhile, Tim was two, three, maybe even _ten_ steps ahead of me and everyone else. It did hurt a little bit to find out that Tim had only thrown the oil over the other inmate so he could get interrogated and not to defend me, but then again, it was all so that we could get home, and in a way, that meant that Tim _did_ do it for my sake.

It was just so amazing, for him to have thought this far ahead and manipulated Rogét in the process. Even so, a thought struck me, a flaw in Tim's otherwise so far flawless plan. "What about the fact that the boat was dead when we got here?" I asked softly.

Tim tapped his nose knowingly. "I figured that out too, young Tyler the Terror-"

I sighed. "I told you, please-"

"We can use the Real Solid Vision thingamajig to recharge the boat. I was watching some guys Duel before. That Yu _yaas_ was using a bunch of gay hippos – not that there's anything _wrong_ with that. But it got me thinking, maybe there are some cards that we could get our hands on and use Real Solid Vision to recharge the energy of the crystal ball. Do you know of any cards like that that could help?"

In my mind, I heard Apple Magician Girl clear her throat and I smiled. "Yeah, I might know of a few…"

"Then it's settled. We'll break out of here, get the boat, get the ball, recharge it, and be on our way." Tim smiled.

"When?" I asked.

"Whenever we can." Tim shrugged.

"You won't be able to get out of here." Crow said. I turned to him. "Not unless they _let_ you. This place is guarded around the clock by correctional officers _inside_ and the Arrest Corps _outside_. Your best bet is just to wait out the time until you're released."

"I'm sure somethin'll come up…" Tim laid back against his pillow as the elevator dinged, its doors opening as our warden and a few correctional officers stepped out.

"Excuse us, the feed to your cells dropped out." Our warden explained as the officers replaced our broken cameras and microphones with new ones. "My _God_." She said, noticing the massive crack in the glass between Tim's cell and mine. "What the Hell happened?"

"I just tripped and hit my head." Tim shrugged once more.

Our warden sighed, turning to the other officers. "Right, we'll have to make sure _this_ gets fixed too." She then turned to face us, looking at us each individually as she spoke. "By the way, tomorrow night, you'll be allowed out for an extra hour. We're having a Facility-wide Duel Tournament that you can either watch or participate in, if you'd like. Now, if you'll excuse me." Our warden turned and left with the correctional officers, new cameras and microphones attached to the walls of our cells.

Tim turned to me. " _Bingo_."

* * *

The following day seemed to drag on until nightfall, every minute feeling like an hour, and every hour feeling like an eternity. On the plus side, I was actually able to get something to eat without some motherfucker tripping me up and making me drop my food, _and_ I was actually able to have a shower, so I could clean all the blood and other crap off of my face.

I didn't bump into Joel during my recreation, probably because we had differently scheduled times, but I was certain that I'd run into him during the tournament, which was another incentive for me to not get involved with any of that shit. I was still adamant in my desire to kill Joel, but I couldn't do it in public, or around any correctional officers.

Crow wasn't talking to me anymore. I had no idea if he'd told Shinji at all about me, and I wondered if he'd spoken to Eric, and found out that he'd already known about me. None of it mattered though. I had bigger things to worry about than my counterpart's sad drug addict of a stepbrother, or the still-living counterpart of my dead friend.

In spite of Tim's nonchalance about the whole thing, I was nervous as Hell. The way that he just rattled off all the stuff that we had to do, escape from The Facility, break into the Storage Facility, get the boat back, retrieve the crystal ball from wherever Tim hid it, recharge the energy of the ball somehow... it was just a really tall order. The closest thing I'd done to any of that was break into the Securities' Storage Facility back in my Dimension when I was a part of Team Satisfaction, to get mine and Crow's cards back after they'd been confiscated by Sector Security, and cards were _Hell_ of a lot easier to smuggle out of a place than a freakin' _boat_!

I sighed. I just had to take it one step at a time, I told myself. As long as I kept my head down, and followed Tim's lead, I'd be okay.

And maybe, just maybe, I'd be able to see Luna again.

My eyes moved from Rogét's photographs as I looked up at the flickering fluorescent light in my cell, which I probably shouldn't have done, while Crow was prepping his Duel Disk and Deck for the tournament. Celina was lying on her bed, her sheets in a crumpled heap, the girl seeming to be in a worse mood than I'd seen from her previously. I'd asked her how her interrogation with Rogét went, only for her to tell me it was none of my business.

Tim was sitting on his bed, this time playing DragonForce's 'Through the Fire and Flames' on a harmonica I had no idea how he even got, the glass pane having been injected with some sort of resin to re-stabilize it. Tim stopped playing when the elevator started making noises, only for the bell to ding as the doors opened. Our warden stepped out, powerful and confident in her stride. "Good evening. The Facility Duel Tournament will be starting shortly, are any of you wanting to enter?"

"Count me in." Crow said, slotting his Deck into his Duel Disk and attaching it to his wrist as our warden unlocked his cell, Crow stepping out.

"What about you three?" she asked.

"N-n-no thank you," I said as politely as I could.

"No thanks, bruv." Tim grinned.

"Go to Hell…" Celina grumbled.

Our warden smirked, walking over to Celina's cell. "You know, the only reason I've been kind to you so far is because I've had specific instructions from Director Rogét. I'd advise you to not push your luck, girl. Rogét's done questioning you, and I'm not sure why he still wants you kept here. I'd keep my mouth shut, you understand?"

Celina scoffed, swinging her legs over her bed and standing up. "Why don't you come in here and _make_ me? The only reason I was captured is because you _cowards_ ganged up on us. You're too weak to fight alone. In fact, you're weak _period_."

Our warden twitched, baring her teeth for a moment before shaking her head. "You've got quite the mouth on you, Belfri." She said, which I silently agreed with. She shook her head again, turning back to Crow. "Hogan, come with me."

Crow nodded, following the warden into the elevator, the doors opening and closing as they stepped in. Celina scoffed once more, sitting back on the bed. I glanced over at Tim to see his eyes veering toward the camera in his room for a moment.

"Tim-"

"Wait…" he cautioned, "just a moment…"

I nodded, keeping to my bed as Apple Magician Girl appeared beside me, though I was sure like with Explosivo, I was the only one who could see and hear her.

"Hey…" she cooed, "we're behind you, okay? Me and all the other Spirits, we won't let anything happen to you, I promise."

"Thanks," I mouthed to her, and Apple Magician Girl smiled back, her hand phasing through mine as she reached out to me.

"Once we're outside The Facility walls, if you Summon us, we should be able to better assist you."

I nodded, Apple Magician Girl fading away. I turned back to Tim, who was now sitting on his bed, staring intently at the door to his cell. Celina sighed, turning over on her bed and laying on her stomach with a grumble.

I kept my eyes on Tim, my heart beating faster and faster as I watched him, eventually losing track of time. It felt as though my heart had jumped into my throat as Tim discarded the red blazer he'd gotten from the Kmart Dimension and stood up, tensing his muscles as all the cameras and microphones in our cells shorted once more.

I flinched, having been sitting right below mine, quickly moving from my bed as a shower of sparks rained down on it. Celina too, got up, rolled off her bed and backed up against the side of her cell.

"Get all your stuff together. We're going now." Tim said simply. I swallowed, reaching over and grabbing my Duel Disk and Deck, slotting the latter into the former and slipping my hand inside it.

A figure suddenly dropped down from the ceiling of our quarters, looking at the three of us in our cells.

"You…!" Celina gasped.

The figure tousled their red hair back, before turning to face Tim and I for a moment, revealing a man possibly a year or two younger than myself, wearing quite an odd combination of clothing. A blue long sleeve shirt, underneath an orange jacket with a missing right sleeve, and a black glove on his left hand but not his right. It was all quite weird.

"Hey, it's Carrot Top!" Tim cheered.

"Uh… sorry, you must have me confused for someone else…" the redhead muttered, walking over to Celina's cell. "I'm here to rescue the princess." The man twirled a key between his fingers and unlocked Celina's cell, the pompous indigo-haired girl grabbing her Duel Disk and stepping out.

"Thanks." She said to him.

Tim breathed in, tensing his body as he reached out his right hand, tapping on the pane of glass between our cells, the glass almost dissolving into powder at his touch.

"Ho~ly _shit_ …" I whispered.

Tim flashed me a smile. "Right? And _those_ guys need a key…" Tim then elbowed the door to his cell with his right arm, causing it to come off its hinges and crash into the other side of the wall. "Oops… I might have overdone that…" he said sheepishly. I joined Tim in his cell before turning to Celina and her… well, I guess 'friend'. Though it honestly perplexed me how a girl with an attitude like hers could have any friends at all.

Regardless, this whole situation reminded me of when I broke out of the Arcadia Movement with Luna and the others, how I couldn't have done it alone, and I figured that this _was_ a similar situation – regardless of my opinion of Celina, we could work together and help each other escape. "If you guys are going to break out too, do you want to go together?" I offered.

"No." Celina said bluntly. "No offense, but you'll just slow us down."

"Yeah, offense taken." I told her, having had enough of her attitude. Tim just chuckled heartily.

"You're a funny little lady. Just know that the only reason you're not dead right now is 'cause _I_ haven't killed you." Tim smiled at Celina so innocently, it was actually pretty disarming. Tim turned back to me. "Anyway, we should get going." He told me. I nodded, following Tim out of his cell and over to the elevator, which was unfortunately the only way off the floor.

We made our way in and Tim studied the control pad for a brief moment before mashing his hand down on it, pressing every single button, the doors closing quickly.

It felt like an eternity with the doors closed, the small elevator space feeling warm and claustrophobic. I looked to Tim and saw him just whistling to himself as though he didn't have a care in the world. It was like he'd done this sort of thing a thousand times before.

The doors opened suddenly, and Tim rushed out into the corridor. From what I'd seen, it all looked the same, but I was glad that one of us seemed to know what to do and where to go. I followed him, trailing behind more and more as Tim was much faster than me. I don't think he realized how fast he was. Or maybe I was just slow. That was probably it.

We trekked down a long hall, until Tim suddenly stopped, stretching one of his hands out to keep me back. "Wait…" he cautioned.

"Wh-what is it?" I asked.

"Stay here. I'll go on ahead, take out any officers and clear a path for us."

"What?"

"Trust me. It would be easier for me to fight alone if I need to and not have to worry about your safety. Just stay here, and I'll come back for you once I'm sure the coast is clear. In the meantime, if an officer finds you, just say you changed your mind about playing cards and got lost."

"But what about the fact that our cells are trashed and Celina's gone too?"

Tim smiled warmly at me. " _I_ was the one that trashed 'em, not you. And as for Celina, well, I think we can both agree she's got issues. We gave her the chance to come with us, and she didn't want to. Hopefully, she'll pull attention away from us and get caught, and when she _does_ , won't blow it for us. Now stay put, okay?"

My body tensed. "A-alright… b-but… Tim…!" I stuttered like a bitch, "pl-please be careful!"

Tim nodded, giving me a thumbs up as he moved ahead quickly. I took a couple of steps back, pressing myself against the corridor wall until Tim was out of sight. I sighed.

Tim could take care of himself, I told myself, but that didn't stop my heart from pounding in my chest.

In my sudden isolation, a thought crossed my mind. It was a stupid thought, but nevertheless, one I couldn't ignore:

Tim wouldn't just leave me here… would he?

I closed my eyes, shaking my head as I assured myself that wasn't, and couldn't be, the case. Tim wouldn't do that to me.

_Wouldn't_ he?

" _Tyler_!" Joel's voice ripped me from my state of panic as I turned to face my counterpart's stepbrother, his Duel Disk on his left wrist and a shank in his right hand, slowly encroaching on my space. I'd never seen a more prominent look of anger on his face. He stamped his feet on the ground as he stepped closer to me, and I could feel the impact of his feet on the ground, the sound echoing around the corridor like sharp hits, not unlike the ones he and his father used to give me. "So you killed my father, huh?! _Huh_?!" he snapped, continuing to walk towards me.

My panic, my fear of being left behind had vanished, faced now with the person I hated the most. More than Kobi, more than Explosivo, more than Sayer… more than even myself.

"Haven't you realized it yet, Joel?" I called to him as he continued his approach, "I'm not afraid of you. I never should have been. You're pathetic."

"Pathetic? _Pathetic_?! No, the only one who's pathetic is _you_ , taking the life of an innocent man with familial spastic paraplegia-"

"Is _that_ what he had?" I asked, holding back the urge to laugh. I had no idea whether Joel knew it or not, but familial spastic paraplegia was a hereditary disease, which meant that, if Joel was to live out his life, there was a chance, a _great_ chance, that he'd end up in the same state his dad had been in. " _Fantastic_!" I smiled. "I couldn't think of anyone more deserving of a disease like _that_ than your family."

"Shut up!" Joel pointed the shank menacingly at me. It honestly did frighten me, even though his reaction was totally justified and completely expected. Even with my body having been returned to a similar state that it was in back in Team Satisfaction, and me probably being physically stronger than Joel at this point, my body wasn't stronger than a knife. I knew if Joel got the opportunity to stab me, then that would be it. Joel could very well kill me, and I knew not only did he want to, but also that he'd try. "You killed my father, so now I'm gonna kill you!"

My hands moved against the sides of my pants, and it was then that I remembered the photographs I'd gotten from Rogét, and an idea, a crazy idea, started to take shape in my head. I remembered what Yusei had said about the Dark Signers, and my own experiences with them. How Misty had lived on with her brother's death in her heart, how Kalin's desire for revenge still tethered him to our world. I realized that if I was going to be faced with death, I could, at the very least make Joel believe, that I was the same as them.

"That's not going to work on me, Joel." I said with a calm tone, even though my heart was racing. I reached into my pocket, retrieving the photograph of my counterpart hanging from the ceiling, and tossed it to Joel.

Joel took the photograph, his eyes moving from mine as he looked down at it, continuing to hold out his shank to threaten me. Over time, I noticed his hands start to shake, his grip on the shank loosening slightly. "This is…!" Joel's eyes went wide, his hands trembling.

I smiled. "Me." I lied. "I couldn't deal with the pain that you and your father had caused me, so I took my own life. My shameful act denied me the right to enter Heaven, and I died with nothing but hatred in my heart. I was taken into the darkness, consumed by it, body and soul. But do you think I could not control the darkness I inhabit? I clung to my hatred of you and your father, and that hatred birthed a new body with which I was able to return to this world. I've cast aside the shackles of the living world and I now only exist to enact justice, _and then and only then will I finally be able to rest_!" I removed my vest and took off my shirt, placing them on the ground, giving Joel a clear shot at my chest in the process. "You can kill me with that shank, but as long as I have hatred in my heart for you, I'll come back, and my restless soul won't stop until you're dead."

I took one step towards Joel and he dropped the shank and the photograph, the implement falling to the floor with a clatter. "Stay away from me, you demon!" he snapped, honestly scared out of his tiny little mind.

I licked my lips, quickly making up the ground so that I could retrieve both the shank and photograph for myself. "No…" I said coolly, tingeing my voice with a low death growl. All that band stuff with Taze had to _eventually_ come in handy.

"I mean it!" he yelled, his voice quivering. "Stay away or I'll-"

"You'll what? You abused me, your father raped me, _surely_ there's not much more you can do to me than that." I continued distorting my voice as I spoke. I took another step forward, and Joel turned tail and ran – straight into Tim.

"Hey, what's going on on _this_ side?" Tim asked, Joel staggering back. "Oh, hey, cool, you took your shirt off." Tim noted. "Lookin' _good_." He smiled, until his eyes shifted to Joel. "Who's this?" he asked.

"That's Joel." I told him.

Tim's eyes narrowed. "You mean-"

"Yep." I said, raising my eyebrows.

Joel stepped back from Tim's imposing figure before flinching and moving forward as I took another step toward him. "Let me go!" Joel begged, "He's gonna kill me!"

"No he's not." Tim said calmly, bringing his right hand out, clenching it into a fist. "This is what you get for hurting my friend." Tim opened his hand out and a bright blue light came forth, forcing me to shut my eyes.

When I opened them again, Joel was nowhere to be seen. There wasn't a single trace of him left.

"What in the…?" I trailed off.

"He won't bother you, or anyone else anymore." Tim said simply, walking over and putting a hand on my shoulder.

I flinched, looking down and away. "Y-you called me your… f-friend… even after all that stuff I said, you still th-th… th-"

"Think of you as a friend?" Tim finished for me, and I was grateful he did. "Of course I do, you silly duffer."

A moment of silence passed. I felt so stupid.

I looked up at Tim. "You know what's funny?"

"What?"

"As far as I know, this Joel never apologized for what he did. H-he refused to put any of the onus on himself. The Joel in my Dimension at least apologized to me. Even if he might not have meant it, just hearing those words… the Tyler here never got to hear them…" I trailed, starting to titter. "Maybe if he had, he wouldn't have killed himself…"

"That's not funny…" Tim said softly, putting his other hand to my shoulder. "Listen, Tyler: I really can't condone or support what you did to your stepdad here, but… Family's not s'posed to hurt each other… and home is s'posed to be the one place you can go when the rest of the world isn't making sense, the one place above all you can go to feel safe."

I started to feel myself get a little choked up. "I never felt safe…" I admitted. "Not with Kobi and Joel around…"

" _Never_?" Tim asked. I shook my head, stupid tears starting to well in my eyes. "Well it's time for that to change." Tim told me. "We were brought together by chance, and I'm glad, 'cause now I'm able to help you. No one should have to go through what you've been through, especially alone." Tim's hands moved to his sides, and he gestured with his head to my discarded clothes. "But now's not the time to get into all of that. I've taken care of all the guards I could see. Put your shirt and that back on so we can get going."

I nodded, moving over to fetch my clothes, setting Joel's shank – the weapon he was going to kill me with – onto the ground.

It was weird. Surreal. Unfinished. Watching Sayer get eaten by Misty's Earthbound Immortal was so satisfying for me. It drowned me in this foreign sense of pleasure that only Kobi's murder was able to top. But seeing Joel just disappear in a blinding flash of light… it didn't feel right.

I didn't know if his death was painful, painless, or if he'd feel pain even after the fact, but it wasn't _me_ who killed him. _Yes_ , he wasn't my _real_ stepbrother, and I had to reiterate to myself the fact that everything I did or would do in this Dimension was completely meaningless, that it wouldn't change anything in my Dimension in any way, shape or form, but Joel had to pay, whether it be _my_ Joel or another.

The bruises and scars that he and his father had left me had been healed by time, Explosivo, Leo's Life Stream Dragon, Zone, Tim… but I knew no matter how many times my body was healed, whether I was brought back from the brink of death or not, the scars in my _mind_ would never heal.

Joel wasn't Tim's to kill. He was mine.

The fact that I believed that frightened me.

* * *

I followed behind Tim, stepping over the bodies of a bunch of correctional officers. I had no idea whether the officers were simply unconscious or if Tim had killed them. Frankly, I didn't want to know. I was just glad I didn't have to deal with them.

Tim walked casually with his hands in his pockets as we turned to reach what seemed to be a dead-end. "We're trapped." I noted.

Tim shook his head. "Down there," he pointed. I looked down to see a closed-off air vent at the very edge of the floor. Tim walked over to it, prying the grate off with his hands and tossing it aside. " _Grate_ job so far…" he smiled, and I _knew_ he was going for a pun.

I pretended not to hear it as I followed Tim down into the vent.

It was a tight fit, and I kept my eyes low, purposely averting my eyes from Tim's, ahem, admittedly shapely rear. I was reminded of the time when Yusei, Sherry, Bruno and I infiltrated the Momentum Express Development Organization, and Sherry, Bruno and I had to sneak through one of the vents to get away while Yusei stalled that Clark guy with a Duel. I sighed. That whole thing was such a mess, I thought. If I hadn't have gone, I probably wouldn't have been here.

I returned my eyes to Tim, realizing that if things hadn't have ended up how they did, I would have never met Tim.

By the time we reached the end of the vent, my knees were aching. Tim quickly jabbed at the grate, which came off and Tim dived out. I crawled to the edge and peered out, discovering that we had somehow made it to the very top of The Facility, a rooftop area with seemingly no way of getting down.

Tim helped me out of the vent, the cold night time air making me shiver. I turned away from Tim immediately as the redhead reached up and grabbed one of his pecks.

"How are we supposed to get down from here?" I asked.

"We scale the outside of the building. Climb down." Tim told me.

" _Climb_ -"

"It's them! Don't let them escape!" someone's muffled voice sounded. Tim and I turned to see two men clad in black and dark-red armor standing atop the wall. They jumped down suddenly, activating their Duel Disks as they faced us.

I activated mine in turn, but Tim cracked his knuckles and walked forward. "These jokers are mine…" he dismissed.

"Jutte Fighter!" one of the guards shouted, moving to place the card onto his Duel Disk, but Tim had already moved to him faster than my eyes could see, his right arm caught in Tim's hand. Tim smirked, and with his free arm, chopped through the guard's arm, blood running from the open wound, darkening his armor and staining the floor.

The guard dropped his cards as Tim took a step back before kicking him into the wall. The guard fell to the ground, unmoving. "Your Life Points are _zero_." Tim said menacingly.

My heart beating defiantly in my chest, I turned to see the other guard having Summoned a Search Striker, the Monster's gun pointing toward me.

Thinking quickly, I drew a card from my Deck and threw it onto my Duel Disk, praying that it was a Monster and that they'd protect me.

Apple Magician Girl appeared with a smile, moving to my front as I found the two of us quickly engulfed by a red apple-shaped bubble, Search Striker's shots quickly bouncing off its reflective surface.

The cold air vanished immediately, the scent of apples filling my nose as I inhaled. "Oh, thank you so much…!" I breathed. She couldn't imagine how relieved I was to see her in physical form.

Apple Magician Girl turned back to me and smiled. "I told you I wouldn't let anything happen to you."

I returned Apple Magician Girl's smile before gasping, as out of the corner of my eye I saw Tim literally reach into the live guard's chest and rip his heart out, the guard dropping to the ground, face-planting as Search Striker disappeared.

"I put you in face-down _Death Position_." Tim snarked as I stood there shaking.

"Oh my goodness…" Apple Magician Girl gasped, sounding rightly horrified. I cringed at the sight of Tim throwing the guard's heart around like it was a ball, blood squirting out like a ketchup packet. Tim suddenly stopped, kicking the heart off the side of the tower and running his blood-drenched hands through his hair.

"I can't tell you how much I've missed this…" Tim said, turning to me, taking a step back at the sight of Apple Magician Girl. "Whoa, hey, magic flying lady in a bubble…!"

"This is Apple Magician Girl, one of my counterpart's cards." I explained. "She's a Duel Spirit," I turned to her, happy to say "and a friend."

"Apple?" Tim scratched his head. "Oh, _that's_ why it's shaped like an apple," he said, presumably referring to the bubble. "I thought I could sense someone else in the cell with us before. Good to have you with us, Red Delicious." Tim reached out a hand for her to shake, but Apple Magician Girl simply looked down at the blood-covered hand and Tim pulled it away. "Oh… yeah… right…" he muttered sheepishly, seemingly not even noticing how much blood was on his hands until now. "Anyway, we'd better move it before more guards come. I mean, I could do this all night, but we've got a lady present, so best not subject her to that sort of stuff."

Tim jumped up onto the wall as I stood below, Apple Magician Girl's bubble slowly disappearing, the cold air returning to take its place around me.

"I'm sorry that you had to hear all that stuff I said to Joel." I told her, the Duel Spirit turning to me. "Using my counterpart's suicide as a way of scaring him, you must think I'm crazy… I-I-I know I'm crazy…"

Apple Magician Girl nodded half-heartedly. "Your state of mind does concern me." She said honestly. "You talk about darkness, pain and suffering, but you have people who love you, who care about you. I can see it in your heart. You must still feel that too. Isn't that why you're escaping?"

"Yeah…" I nodded, "I have to get home to my Dimension, and make peace with my friends. There's someone in particular… a-a girl… that I have to see again…"

Apple Magician Girl twitched, almost as though she too could feel my heart beat just a little bit faster. I instinctively flinched as she reached out to me and she stopped, rightly assuming it was a reflex from all the abuse I'd suffered from Kobi and Joel. "I'm sorry…!" she cautioned, "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to-"

I fidgeted. "N-no… I… _I'm_ sorry… I just… with everything that's been going on recently, it's been more prominent. I guess I've just been thinking about it more and more, but… I shouldn't be scared, least of all of you." I closed my eyes and allowed Apple Magician Girl to touch my chest.

"It's like your heart and your mind are at odds with each other." She said softly as she placed a hand upon me. "Your heart is telling me that all you want is to be loved and be happy. But when I hear your thoughts, your mind tells me you just want revenge for what's happened to you."

"Yeah…" I sighed. "That's pretty much it…"

"You didn't deserve it…" she whispered, "We _both_ know you didn't… but you have to let go of that now…"

"I'm not sure I can…"

"Then let me help you…" Apple Magician Girl smiled as she removed her hand from my chest, pulling me into a hug.

The warmth of her embrace was welcomed, but I wasn't quite sure where to put my hands. After a few moments of standing completely still like an idiot, I ended up placing my hands on her shoulders, the two of us staying together for a while. I breathed in. She even smelled like apples.

I'd almost lost my sense of place by the time Tim cleared his throat. "Yeah, listen, if you guys are gonna make out, that's cool and all, but we should probably get outta here first."

Apple Magician Girl broke the hug and moved away from me as I turned my attention to Tim. " _Funny_." I remarked. "How _do_ we get down from here though?"

"I told you before. You climb _up_ the wall, we climb _down_ the tower, and then swim _across_ to the mainland."

"What?"

"Well there _is_ a bridge we can use, but they'd be expecting that."

"Tim, I-I'm not very good with climbing or swimming. I mean, I used to be, but…" I trailed off, "besides, wouldn't they expect the fact that _we'd_ expect _them_ to cover the bridge, so they'd cover the waters on the outskirts. Wouldn't it be better-"

"Tyler, trust me. I escaped from a POW camp back in Vietnam. I know what I'm doing."

"This isn't a foreign country, Tim. This is a whole other foreign _Dimension_."

"Just trust me, okay? Jeez, did you not learn trust as a kid growing up?" Tim sighed. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that…" he sighed once more. "Listen: I've thought this all through, okay? Just follow my lead, and I promise you, you'll be fine." Tim reached a hand out for me to take, which I did, the older man lifting me up to join him atop the wall, Apple Magician Girl floating up to join us.

My heart skipped a beat as I realized just how far up we were. Granted, the distance between the top of the tower and the ground was less than the distance between Leo and Luna's Penthouse and the ground of the Tops, but still, I wasn't exactly the best with heights.

"Um… when you say 'climb down the wall'…" I muttered, trying to stop my legs from shaking and a sick feeling from developing in my stomach.

"Yeah, actually, now that I think about it, it'd probably be easier just to _jump_ down." Tim looked down off the edge of the wall.

"Jump? _Jump_?!" I repeated. "You're kidding-" I stopped as Tim suddenly jumped off the wall, my legs starting to shake. "Oh my God, he wasn't kidding…" I swallowed audibly. "There has to be another way to get down from here."

"I can get us down." Apple Magician Girl smiled, my legs suddenly buckling as she scooped me up into her arms. "It's alright, I've got you." Apple Magician Girl assured me, and I found myself clinging to her as she took off after Tim. I forced my eyes closed as the cold night air whipped at my face. "You love her, don't you?" I heard her say. "That girl… Luna…"

I opened my eyes for a brief moment and immediately wished I didn't, closing my eyes once more. "H-how d-d-did you-"

"That's what I see when I look in your heart." Apple Magician Girl cooed. "Don't worry, Tyler, I'll make sure you get to see her again."

"Aw, _crap_!" I heard Tim snap. Against my better judgment, I opened my eyes and looked down at Tim. Aside from the paralyzing fear of the ground drawing ever closer (in spite of me being safe in Apple Magician Girl's arms), I could see Crow, Shinji, Celina, Yuya, and a bunch of other people I didn't recognize, running across the courtyard, all of them probably escaping too. "Those meddling kids are gonna screw this up for us!" Tim suddenly brought his arms out above his head, pointing his right leg down, his body suddenly changing direction as he dropped down into a cordoned-off area near a pipeline.

"Oh my…" Apple Magician Girl quickly changed course to follow Tim. She landed gently beside him and set me down.

"Thanks for carrying me." I smiled.

"We don't have time for that. Those kids are coming this way, and they're gonna make us more of a target. We have to make a move for the water now." Tim instructed, stretching his muscles.

I nodded, removing Apple Magician Girl from my Duel Disk, her physical form disappearing while her spirit form remained. "I don't want your card to get wet." I told her, slipping her card back into my Deck and closing the compartment off, deactivating my Duel Disk.

I had no idea if my Duel Disk was waterproof or not, but I didn't care. I'd rather keep the cards safe but have a non-working Duel Disk than risk getting any of my cards, least of all _hers_ , damaged by the water.

Apple Magician Girl's Spirit faded away, and I followed Tim to the edge of the pipeline, where a small drop into murky water waited below us, and just a small distance away from that, the mainland of Neo Domino City.

Tim dived in, resurfacing moments later. "Come on…! Jump…!" Tim urged. I hesitated and Tim held up his hands. "Come on, I'll catch you."

Apple Magician Girl had gotten me this far, but I had to do this for myself. If I couldn't even make a small jump, I didn't deserve Tim's help. I wouldn't deserve to go home, or to see Luna again.

I took a deep breath, making sure my Deck was secure. I jumped, my throat tight as my heart raced. Instinctively, like the retard I was, I'd actually jumped _away_ from Tim. I guess part of me didn't want to land on top of him, not that it mattered. Tim rose up out of the water to meet me, catching me and pulling me down.

"The Hell was _that_? Why'd you jump _away_ from me?" Tim asked.

"I don't know. I panicked."

"That's alright…" Tim groaned. "Oh, shoot…" he muttered. "They're behind us now…"

"Who?" I asked, turning back to see Crow and the others all standing at the pipeline.

"Hey, get your own escape route, poseurs!" Tim called up to them before turning to me. "C'mon…" Tim started swimming and I followed, poorly. Even with the water providing resistance, the Duel Disk was making it rather difficult for me to swim. I heard splashes in the water behind me, and assumed that the others had followed. Whether or not they'd even seen or heard us, I didn't know, but eventually, they did see us, they _had_ to, as the water and surrounding area became bathed in multiple yellow lights.

I closed my eyes and quickly turned away as I found one of them on me.

"Well, well, well…" Rogét's voice called out from afar. "When I heard there was a tournament tonight, I assumed it was a Duel Monsters tournament, but it looks as though I was misinformed. It seems to be a swimming competition."

"Son of a Banshee…" Tim muttered as I moved about aimlessly.

"You didn't get very far, did you?" Rogét chided, and I forced myself to open my eyes and make them adjust to my surroundings. Rogét and a bunch of Sector Security officers were standing on the other side. "Now, why don't you all come up here, and we can escort you _back_ into The Facility…"

"Follow my lead…" Tim whispered to me, making his way across the water to the other side where Rogét was waiting. I did the same, and eventually, so did everyone else.

I made my way up the steps as I watched Tim hold out his arms again for an officer to cuff him, and just as an officer _was_ about to cuff him, Tim pulled away, the officer stumbling forward as Tim gave him an uppercut to the jaw, the officer's head snapping back harshly as he dropped to the ground.

Rogét's eyes widened. "What the Hell?"

"You underes- _Tim_ -ated me, Roger. I've been playing you like a Fiddler on the Roof." Tim brought his right leg back and his left arm forward, assuming some sort of fighting stance. "Now who _else_ wants some? I can go all night."

Rogét snarled at Tim. " _Seize him_ -"

Suddenly more lights came down from above, the sound of helicopters blaring overhead as four men in white and light-blue armor jumped down, intercepting Rogét, and separating him and his officers from the rest of us. Tim put a hand behind himself protectively, and I could see for the first time that he seemed a little uneasy.

"Jean-Michel Rogét," one of the men in white began, "the Council has requested the presence of yourself and these individuals here. You are all to come with us to the Kaiba Corporation at once. This is mandatory."

"I don't think so. This is a matter of Security, and with all due respect to Mr. Kaiba, this is none of his business!" Rogét pointed to Tim. "This man just assaulted, possibly _killed_ , one of my officers-"

"There's no _possibly_ about it," Tim chimed in, relaxing his stance, "that mofo's dead."

The man in white stepped closer. "With all due respect to _you_ , Mr. Rogét, you've been abusing your power quite a lot lately – Power that the _Council_ gave you. If you do not wish to comply, we're more than happy to strip you of your title, but I know for certain that that's not something you want, so I'll say again: you are all to come with us to the Kaiba Corporation at once."

Rogét pushed air forcefully from his nose. " _Fine_."

The Sector Security officers moved away as we were ushered to move forward by the men in white. It was only after I noticed the Kaiba Corporation insignia on the left side of their chest plates that I started to get some sort of understanding of what was going on. _Some_ understanding. I had no idea what the Kaiba Corporation wanted with us, but I was sure it would be better than getting sent back to The Facility.

I looked over at Tim and saw that his relaxed state had returned. In fact, he seemed almost… happy. It took me far too long to realize why.

We were going to the Kaiba Corporation, which was just across from the Securities' Storage Facility, where the boat was.

There was absolutely _no_ way in Hell that Tim could have planned this. I could tell by his stance before that he hadn't. He was ready for a fight, but now it seemed like we didn't have to go through with one.

Whoever this Council was also seemed to be at odds with Rogét, which I hoped would work in our favor. Maybe, I thought, the Council could even help us get the boat back, and we wouldn't have to break into the Storage Facility.

I just hoped that whatever Kaiba Corporation wanted with us wouldn't be too much of a hassle, that it could be sorted out quickly, and that whatever the case with the so-called Council, we could get the boat back and I could be one step closer to getting home and seeing Luna again.


	8. Ode to My Family

At the heart of New Domino City stood a building that towered over all there was, not in its size, but in what it represented, what it stood for.

The Kaiba Corporation Headquarters.

The Kaiba Corporation was a company that revolutionized Duel Monsters, taking it from just another card game to a worldwide phenomenon. They developed the first iteration of Duel Disk, revolutionizing the way that Duels were played ever since. They created and sponsored tournaments like Battle City and the Duel Express Tournament, conceptualized the first ever Duel Academy, and pioneered Duel Runners, introducing Turbo Dueling to the world.

All of these innovations changed the face of not only Duel Monsters, but the City itself as well, setting New Domino City up as a melting pot of different cultures and ideals, bringing it to the forefront of the country. And the CEO of Kaiba Corporation, Seto Kaiba, was a Duel Monsters legend, rivaled only by the King of Games himself – Yugi Muto.

And all of that meant nothing, as I didn't know how much of it, if _any_ , applied to KaibaCorp in _Neo_ Domino City.

What I _did_ know though, was that as we walked towards it, led by the KC Guard – men in white and blue, random people would back away from us. A couple walking down the street leading up to the building turned and briskly walked away in the opposite direction as soon as they caught sight of us.

The Kaiba Corporation itself actually seemed quite welcoming. Well, as welcoming as a gaming company with seemingly its own private military force could be. The receptionist greeted us with a weak smile as we entered with the KC Guard in tow, and we were immediately directed through several different rooms until we arrived at a large set of doors that opened as we approached, a huge sprawling room that looked like a palace appearing before us.

I swallowed, a sick, uneasy feeling in my stomach as I was reminded of Sayer's room in the Arcadia Movement, with its sickeningly neat and formal appearance. Though this room in particular, with its crystal chandelier and diamond shape contrasted greatly with the cold metal and flashy fluorescent lights of the prior rooms we'd been forced to make our way through.

We were led into the center of the room, where we were surrounded by four individuals sitting atop thrones of marble, one at each corner. The first was a man in black and gray with wide eyes, a look of… well, it was actually quite hard for me to tell what the look on his face meant, but it definitely wasn't a welcoming one. To my right of that man, in the next corner, sat a woman in blue.

I turned behind me, looking back at where our group had entered from, as a man in orange and red sat atop his throne too, looking down at us with another expression I couldn't discern, but his expression wasn't nearly as alarming as the man in gray's was. Finally, my eyes were pulled to that of a man older than the rest, his thin lips curled into a smile, wrinkles clearly visible on his face even from where I was standing.

"Greetings, everyone. We are the High Council of Neo Domino City. My name is Taki Byakko." The old man smiled.

"I am Gurei Genbu~" the man in gray spoke, sounding just as highly strung as he looked.

"My name is Azul Seiryu." The woman in blue said, looking down at us, uncertainty clearly visible on her face.

"And I am Bordeaux Suzaku." The man in red's eyes shifted to the white-haired old man for a brief moment.

"I'm not gonna remember any of these names…" Tim muttered.

"Where's Mr. Kaiba? He's the one who ordered us here, right?!" Rogét barked.

"He's with company. They'll be dropping by momentarily." Azul explained.

"That's right," Taki smiled, "in the meantime, why don't you explain to us what you were doing with these captives of yours?"

"What _I_ was doing?!" Rogét snapped, " _I_ was simply trying to detain them. They all tried to escape."

"We _did_ escape." Tim spoke up, "I mean, we're not _in_ The Facility right now, _are_ we?"

Rogét turned around to face Tim, swinging wide as though to present a sense of power. "They were inciting Commoners, and threatening to sow seeds of discord in the City!" Rogét snapped. "And _these_ two," Rogét pointed to Tim and I, "since arriving here, have been confirmed to have killed at least _five_ people!"

Tim cleared his throat. "Six, but we can make it _seven_." He said, staring Rogét down with absolutely no care in how he spoke or came across. Rogét let out a staggered breath, and it was almost unreal seeing him brought to a halt by Tim's words after being so in control during his interrogation with me.

"We weren't trying to incite Commoners, and the only reason we tried to escape was because we were arrested for no reason!" Yuya protested. "As _soon_ as we arrived here in this Dimension, we were targeted by Sector Security!"

Rogét's eyes narrowed. " _Dimension_ …? Did you hear that? He just said that they arrived from another Dimension-"

"Cut the crap, Roger!" Tim snapped. "You _know_ that Tyler and _I_ come from another Dimension, so don't act like _this_ kid coming from one is such a big freakin' surprise. You're all just tryin' to be mysterious and secretive 'cause you feel like you've got something over us! The _only_ thing you have over us is a large nose, and lemme tell you, I've seen larger."

Rogét was seething. "My name is _Rogét_! Not _Roger_! The 'T' in my name is silent, and the 'E' is accented, so it sounds like 'A'-"

"Don't care." Tim dismissed.

"Is that so…?" Bordeaux asked softly. "You're… _aware_ that these people all came from another Dimension, Director?"

"Not all of us!" Crow shouted. I turned to face him, an angry look on his face. It was the first time he'd spoken in my company since he found out that I wasn't the Tyler he knew. "I don't know what you want to do with us, Council, but I don't want _anything_ to do with _these_ people…!"

"C-C-C-Crow…" I stuttered.

"We're not here to cause any problems!" Yuya insisted. "We came here to gather support! To find strong Duelists!"

Tim put an arm on my shoulder. "And _we're_ only here 'cause I banged when I should have binged…" Tim said, sounding as though everyone should have known what he meant. When people gave him looks of confusion, he added "Long story."

I remembered then the photos that Rogét had given me, to taunt me, and I rummaged through the pockets of my pants to retrieve them, thinking they might help our case. My heart skipped a beat as I took the photos out to find that they'd been ruined by the water I'd jumped into during our escape.

"Damn it…" I sighed.

"Bordeaux, honestly, I had _no_ idea that these people were from another Dimension until they themselves said so, and _clearly_ as you can see, they have no evidence that I would have even known in the first place. Besides, are we _really_ meant to trust the words of these otherworlders? These outlanders? Do you _really_ value the words of _strangers_ so highly over mine? Surely your personal issues with me aren't blinding you to what's going on here?" Rogét's smug tone quickly caused the sickening feeling in my stomach to intensify. It was clear he was trying to regain control of the 'conversation', and the photos that he gave me – the ones his drones took of Tim and I appearing in the City, and our boat, would have immediately shown the Council that Rogét was aware that Tim and I were from another Dimension since the beginning.

Azul laughed. "What's _really_ going on is you're trying to assert what little authority you have. We've heard _all_ about the Interdimensional War, Duel Academy _and_ the Lancers from one Mr. Akaba." She explained.

"Declan's here…?" Yuya asked.

" _And_ ," Bordeaux added, "Mr. Kaiba is inclined to believe him as well."

"That's right," Taki nodded, "we've heard it all."

Rogét's eyes widened. "A-and you believe them?! It's _nonsense_!"

At the end of the room, the doors at the top of the stairs opened out, a white light sweeping across the staircase as four figures descended down the steps.

"It's not nonsense." A cool, calm voice sounded, the light fading as I saw it was a young man with gray hair, wearing a blue shirt, white pants, red glasses and an oversized red scarf who'd spoken. Beside him stood an older man in a white suit, blue tie, light purple shirt, and dark purple pants. His dark hair came down just below the back of his neck. On the other side of him stood the young girl (I had to remind myself of that fact) in the blue hoodie, clutching a teddy bear in her hands, a vacant expression in her eyes.

Beside _her_ , was a person _literally_ dressed as a ninja. I wasn't sure if they were an _actual_ ninja, or if they were just dressing up as one. It didn't really matter though. I just thought it was kind of weird.

"Declan!" Yuya shouted.

"We came here to protect this place from Duel Academy's invasion, and to try and enlist other Duelists who might be able to help put an end to them." The man in blue explained.

"This is _insane_!" Rogét cried, turning to the well-dressed man. "Mr. Kaiba, you can't _possibly_ be-"

The well-dressed man put a hand out as if to silence Rogét and my eyes went wide. When I'd heard the name Kaiba, I'd just automatically assumed that they were referring to _Seto_ Kaiba, but this man… he _couldn't_ have been Seto. He was younger than Seto would have been, and his appearance was completely different. It was then that I remembered that Seto Kaiba had a younger brother.

Mokuba…

"I don't want to hear it, Rogét. Declan here has already explained everything to me, and he makes a convincing argument. So…" Mokuba moved from the foot of the steps, walking around our group in a circle. "Are these your Lancers?" he asked, turning back to the man I presumed to be Declan.

"Along with some others, yes." He nodded.

"Hmm…" Mokuba mused, continuing to walk around us. "I was picturing something a little different when you described them to me." Mokuba stopped, his face hanging as he looked toward Crow, Shinji, myself, and a couple others. "And you… _you're_ all Commoners, aren't you?"

" _We_ are," Shinji spoke, glancing at me, "but _he_ isn't."

Mokuba's eyes caught mine, and he seemed very surprised as he looked down at my arm, fixated on my Duel Disk. "Oh, _wow_!" Mokuba came a little closer to me. "I haven't seen _another_ one of these in _years_! You mind if I take a look at it?"

I shivered. He was speaking to me. "N-n-no, sure, go ahead…" I muttered, removing my arm from my Duel Disk as Mokuba took hold of it.

"Wow… this really takes me back…" he said, looking over it before meeting my eyes again, "Did you make this yourself?" he asked.

My heart skipped a beat. He asked me a question. And I had no idea how to answer him. From what Joel had said, I assumed that my father (or his counterpart), Daisuke, had made it for the Tyler in this Dimension, but I couldn't be sure. I couldn't trust anything that Joel said. Not when his _actions_ were so different.

"I-I, um…"

"That's not even _his_ Duel Disk!" Shinji shouted. "He took it from _him_!"

"Really?" Mokuba asked, continuing to tinker with my Duel Disk, activating it. "Oh, so it's like a hybrid of the old model and the new model. That's pretty cool." He smiled, giving it back to me before looking past me and observing our group as a whole. "And hey, criminals or not, Commoners or otherwise, if you were all able to escape from The Facility, you must all be strong Duelists."

" _I_ want to know how strong…" Azul muttered.

"If you're all on our side, like you claim, we'd like you all to participate in the Friendship Cup~" Gurei squeaked.

"Friendship Cup?" Yuya asked.

"It's an annual tournament." Mokuba explained. "Duelists come from all over the country to take part. Some even come from overseas. The winner, regardless of status or country of origin, is given the title of 'King'. You might have noticed some billboards around town depicting our current King, Jack Atlas. He's held the title for the last few years, and he grew up in the Commons before claiming the title."

"The only billboards I've seen are weird ones with words like 'Murppin', 'Zanifer', and 'Lagollis' written on them…" Tim muttered.

"Ever since Jack took the title of King, the Friendship Cup has always been a Turbo Duel Tournament, but if all of you are going to compete, then there won't be much space left for any additional participants. And if we do make space to include all our regular competitors, there'll be at least twice as many Duelists competing. We might need to speed things up a bit, and make it a Tag Duel Tournament instead." Mokuba suggested, turning to Taki.

The way that Mokuba had spoken, inclusive of everyone present in the room, made me shudder. _I_ sure as Hell didn't want to participate in a tournament. I mean, back in the day, I'd thought about participating in the World Racing Grand Prix, and had honestly considered competing, until I was unfortunately unable to compete due to my Duel Runner being destroyed and having to go through rehabilitation after my accident from Dueling that so-called Fake Jack, not to mention getting abducted by Zone.

It might have been fun, sure, but I didn't have time to waste taking part in a tournament in another Dimension. I had to get home.

"You can forget it! Whatever format the tournament is, I'm _not_ putting on a show for the Topsiders!" Crow shouted.

"If you don't want to participate, that's fine. You can go back to being in Rogét's custody in The Facility. Otherwise, if you'd like to participate, we can set you up at the hotel just across from the Seto Kaiba Memorial Circuit." Bordeaux said, raising his eyebrows.

"Shit…" I said so incredibly quietly. So, I _technically_ had a choice. I'd either play in the tournament or go to jail. And I knew that if I _did_ go back into Rogét's custody that it wouldn't be like before. Both Tim's actions and mine had pretty much guaranteed that my treatment at The Facility would be much worse if I were to return, and there would be even less of a chance of me being able to break out a second time.

"I've already agreed to it on behalf of the Lancers. The Council wants to see how strong you are." Declan said, addressing his Lancers.

"This might not be too bad, Crow. Think about it: if we take part in the tournament, we get to show Amanda, Frank and Taren that you're alright. Plus, we'll get a shot at taking down Jack Atlas for betraying us and all the other Commoners." Shinji whispered to Crow behind me. I glanced back at Shinji, only for him to return my glance with a look as though to ask 'What the Hell are _you_ looking at?!'.

Tim raised a hand into the air, as though to direct the eyes of the Council to him. "Yo, can I just go across the street for a sec?" he asked.

"Why~?" Gurei asked skittishly.

Tim pointed to the door we'd entered from. "There's a boat in the Storage Facility that belongs to me. I'd like to go and check on it."

Mokuba raised an eyebrow. "You wouldn't happen to mean the one that was found at the shoreline, would you?" he asked.

"H-how do you know about that?" Rogét asked.

Mokuba turned to him, and without skipping a beat said "I know about everything that happens in Neo Domino City." Mokuba then turned back to Tim. "Is that the boat you're referring to?"

"Yes. It certainly is." Tim smiled.

Mokuba's almost stern expression suddenly relaxed as he smiled back at Tim. "Cool, well I'll tell you what: play in the Friendship Cup for us, and you can have the boat back. How's that sound?"

"That sounds great, but I don't know how to Duel." Tim admitted.

"Really? What? Why?" Mokuba asked, tittering from the group being heard around the room. Mokuba shook his head, sighing. "That's alright. Duel Monsters isn't for everyone. I'm more into Capsule Monsters myself-"

"No, I _could_ Duel if I _wanted_ ," Tim said defensively, "as long as I get the boat back at the end of it."

Mokuba nodded. "Of course, of course. As long as you don't mind us studying it in the meantime."

"No, go ahead." Tim insisted. "Let me know if you find out how it actually works, I've kinda just been wingin' it."

"Will do," Mokuba chuckled, "Anyway, if you're going to participate in the tournament, you'll need a partner-"

I jerked my body as I felt Tim wrap one of his arms around my shoulder. "I want this guy." He said with a smile. "Oh, but I don't have a Deck."

"I'll have someone escort you to a card shop first thing tomorrow morning if you'd like." Mokuba then turned to me. "Is that alright with you?"

I tried to speak, but I couldn't get the words out, my lips trembling pathetically. I ended up just nodding instead, hating myself.

"Thanks," Tim peered at the name badge magnetized to Mokuba's suit, "Mokubro! You're alright!" Tim smiled once more.

"You can't just give them the boat for playing in the Friendship Cup!" Rogét snapped.

"Mr. Kaiba can do what he likes~" Gurei squeaked.

"That's alright, Gurei, you don't need to speak for me." Mokuba said, closing his eyes as he took a few steps back, turning to Rogét and reopening them. "I don't see what the problem is with me giving them the boat back, Rogét. If they put on a show for the Commoners and Topsiders, then I'm _more_ than happy for them to have the boat back. Besides, it's their boat in the first place anyway."

"You can't be serious!" Rogét shouted, pointing to me. " _Those two_ are murderers, and by letting them go free, you're-"

Mokuba turned to the KC Guard standing near Rogét. "Can you please escort Rogét from the premises?" he sighed, the men in white and blue bowing before turning to Rogét. Rogét took an uneasy step back as he found himself surrounded, the guards forcing some sort of mask onto his face, immediately silencing Rogét's cries as the formerly confident and supposedly in control man was dragged from the room. Mokuba sighed once more. "I'm sorry about that. Rogét can get a little overbearing at times, but he's the best at doing what he does."

"What are you going to do to him?" Celina asked.

"Nothing. They're just going to take him back to Security Headquarters." Mokuba assured her.

Declan looked at each of his Lancers for a moment, addressing them. "The Friendship Cup will begin in a little over a week. In the meantime, you'll be given the opportunity to go out and find tag partners and strengthen your Decks."

"I'm just thinking," Taki smiled, "that a week is a long time to wait to see the strength of your Duelists. I'd hate for us to wait that long and then find out your Lancers are…" Taki licked his lips, "inadequate."

Celina and Sylvio twitched, Taki continuing to smile. "Alright," Declan shrugged. "Yuya, show the High Council your power."

Yuya straightened up. "H-huh?"

"Yuya can Duel against one of you right now, if you'd like." Declan suggested.

Mokuba's eyes lit up. " _I'm_ up for a Duel." he smiled. "Just let me go get my stuff and I'll be right back."

"H-hey, wait…" Yuya mumbled, but Mokuba had already headed out of the room. Yuya closed his eyes for a moment and turned to Declan. "Declan, we don't have time to enter some tournament! We need to be looking for Zuzu!" Yuya protested.

"Zuzu's going to be participating in the Friendship Cup." He said calmly.

Yuya and Celina gasped. "She is?!"

Declan nodded. "And if this is going to be a Tag Tournament as Mr. Kaiba said, I'm sure you and her could partner up together. Right now, she's perfectly safe. The Council won't let Sector Security harm or arrest her, and we mustn't forget that our main priority is to forge an alliance with the people of this Dimension."

"Which _we're_ all for," Bordeaux spoke up, " _if_ you can prove yourself."

After a few moments, Yuya relented with a sigh and a nod. "Alright, I'm in. Let's do it." He smiled. Declan coolly smiled back, touching his glasses.

I glanced over at Crow, whose eyes briefly met mine before he turned away.

"Hey, C-Crow…" I stuttered.

"What?!" he snapped, turning back.

"I… I meant what I said before…"

"What? 'Fuck you'?"

"N-n-n-no… that you're a good friend…"

Crow's expression softened, the lights in the room dimming as the doors swung open, Mokuba stepping inside, a Duel Disk strapped to his left arm. I assumed it to be a Duel Disk at least, but Mokuba was also wearing a headset of some kind as well that he wasn't wearing before.

We were ushered to move back by the KC Guard and Tim turned to me. "So Yu _yaas_ is gonna be Duelin' Mokubro?"

I nodded. "L-l-looks like it." I was actually really interested to see what kind of Deck Mokuba used, as Mokuba wasn't really known as a Duelist in my Dimension.

"Alright, we'll turn off the Real Solid Vision for this Duel. Don't want to mess this place up." Mokuba fiddled with his headset. "You ready?" he asked, Yuya nodding. "Then let's go!"

" _Duel!_ "

[Yuya: 4000 LP]  
[Mokuba: 4000 LP]

"You can start if you want, Yuya." Mokuba offered.

"Alright!" Yuya cheered, "Then I'll get this show on the road! I'll Set one Monster in Defense Position, and Set two other cards face-down!" three cards appeared face-down on Yuya's side of the field. "Let's see what you've got."

"That was a good move," Mokuba smiled, drawing from his Deck, " _bu~ut_ , I think I've got this in the bag, sorry. I activate my Spell Card, Pot of Desires! By Banishing the top ten cards from my Deck face-down, I get to draw two cards." The mismatched pot, half Greed and half Avarice, appeared on Mokuba's field as his Duel Disk ejected the top ten cards from his Deck. Mokuba then drew two cards with a smile. "Next, I play my Ultimate Dragon Ritual Spell Card, offering the three Blue-Eyes White Dragons in my hand as Tributes to Ritual Summon the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"

My eyes widened as three Blue-Eyes White Dragons appeared on Mokuba's field, quickly getting pulled into the center by a whirlpool of fire, the three dragons becoming engulfed in it, a bolt of blue fire breaking apart the field as the massive three-headed white dragon took its place on the field with an enharmonic roar [ATK: 4500].

"N-n-n-n-no way…" I stammered. It looked like, in this Dimension, Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon was a Ritual Monster, rather than a Fusion Monster as it was in my Dimension. It sort of made sense in a way. During my brief time in The Facility, I hadn't seen any Fusion Monsters being traded for better privileges, only Normal, Effect, Ritual and Synchro Monsters. What was perhaps more surprising than that however was that Mokuba seemed to be using his older brother's trademark – the three-of-a-kind Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

"Now _that's_ a big dragon…" Tim muttered.

"You think _that's_ big?" Mokuba grinned. " _I'm_ just getting started. Next I play another Ritual Spell – Chaos Form, letting me Banish one of the Blue-Eyes White Dragons in my Graveyard and call out my Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon!"

Five distorted pillars appeared behind Mokuba, moving apart as a bright light came forth in the shape of a pentagon, a truly titanic dragon flying in as though the pentagon was a portal to another world. The silver dragon threw its head back and roared, blue crystals and shining lights embedded in its body, its massive form towering over Mokuba's Ultimate Dragon [ATK: 4000].

"Holy _crap_ …" I muttered. "What _is_ that thing?"

"It looks like this is it, Yuya. I enter my Battle Phase! Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon attacks your Set Monster!" Mokuba pointed toward Yuya's Set card. "Let's go, Blue-Eyes! Ultimate Burst Stream-"

"Not so fast!" Yuya shouted. "I play my Trap Card, Widespread Ruin!" Yuya threw his hand into the air. "Oh yeah! This card activates when you declare an attack, and destroys the Monster with the highest Attack Points on your field, so your Ultimate Dragon's going to the Graveyard!"

In an instant, Mokuba's Ultimate Dragon was evaporated by the blast of a claymore.

"Nice!" Mokuba encouraged. "But I've still got my _other_ dragon's attack! Chaos MAX Dragon, attack! _Maximum Burst of Chaos_!"

Yuya's Set card was revealed – some weird-looking horse whose body seemed to be made out of radishes [Performapal Radish Horse: DEF: 2000] – as Mokuba's dragon charged its attack in its mouth.

"Oh, by the way, Chaos MAX Dragon has an effect which lets it deal double piercing damage, so you'll be going down in a One Turn Kill!"

Yuya's eyes widened. "In that case, I activate the effect of my Performapal Inflater Tapir from my hand! By discarding it to the Graveyard, I don't take any battle damage this turn!" Mokuba's dragon let loose its attack on Yuya's Monster and a giant flying top hat-wearing purple tapir appeared on Yuya's field, absorbing the damage and leaving Yuya's Life Points untouched, but his field, apart from one face-down card, was now empty. "Also," Yuya continued, "since my Performapal Radish Horse is a Pendulum Monster, when it's destroyed, it gets placed on top of my Extra Deck instead of going to the Graveyard."

" _Nice_!" Mokuba encouraged. "Your move, Yuya."

"Yuya just barely avoided that one…" Shinji noted.

Declan touched his glasses. "But now Yuya has the advantage. Mr. Kaiba used up his entire hand in his strategy to bring out his two dragons, and Yuya's already destroyed one of them. If Yuya can get rid of Mokuba's Chaos MAX Dragon like he did his Ultimate Dragon, then he'll have control of the field and Mr. Kaiba will have to rely on topdecking to win." He explained.

"Well… _yeah_ , du~uh!" Tim remarked.

Yuya smiled confidently, drawing. "I Summon Performapal Friendonkey in Attack Position!" the familiar shifty-eyed-looking donkey appeared on Yuya's field [ATK: 1600]. "When he's Normal Summoned, I'm allowed to Special Summon a low level Performapal Monster from my hand, so I call on my Performapal Stamp Turtle!" another weird animal, this one a turtle with orange glasses and a top hat clutching a stamp pad and paper in its paws, appeared beside Friendonkey [DEF: 1800]. "Next I activate my Stamp Turtle's effect: once per turn, I can increase the Levels of up to two Monsters on the field, so I'll increase my Friendonkey's Level by one, making him Level four." [Performapal Friendonkey: LV: 4] "Next, I build the Overlay Network! Formed from pitch-black darkness, to fight those foolish enough to oppose it with its treacherous fangs! I Xyz Summon Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon!"

Both of Yuya's Monsters turned into blue light as a black hole appeared on the field in front of him, the light getting sucked into it before another burst of light came forth, electricity crackling about the room as a black and purple dragon – much more lithe than Mokuba's own – appeared on Yuya's field [ATK: 2500].

"I don't know what an Xyz Summon is, but that's a pretty cool dragon you've got there." Mokuba smiled. "It's too bad my Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon has more Attack Points than it."

Yuya grinned. "For now maybe, but you should know that Monsters used for an Xyz Summon don't just leave the field once the Summon is completed, instead, they become Xyz Materials _attached_ to the Xyz Monster. And I can use the Xyz Materials attached to my dragon to use its effect, and Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon has a pretty devastating one: if I detach the two Xyz Materials from it, I can then target one Monster you control and have its Attack Points get cut in half. Then Dark Rebellion Dragon's Attack Points increase by the amount of Attack Points _your_ dragon loses! Go! Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon, _Treason Discharge_!"

"No way…" I muttered, the wings of Yuya's dragon opening up as purple electricity surged through its body. The dragon roared as the electricity was shot forth at Mokuba's dragon and ensnared it.

Mokuba smirked. "Sorry, but my Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon can't be targeted by card effects."

"What?!" Yuya shouted, eyes wide.

"Show him, Blue-Eyes! _Maximum Diffusion_!" Mokuba's dragon broke free from the electricity that surrounded it, and Chaos MAX Dragon let out a roar of its own.

"No way…" Yuya muttered, his sentiment mirroring my previous one. "I-in that case, I end my turn."

Mokuba drew. "I enter my Battle Phase and-"

"I don't think so! I play my Trap! Threatening Roar!" Yuya shouted, his dragon letting out a powerful roar. "You're not allowed to attack this turn."

Mokuba shrugged. "Alright, then I guess it's back to you."

Yuya drew. "Since your Chaos MAX Dragon inflicts double piercing damage, there's no point in me switching Rebellion Dragon to Defense Position if it's going to be attacked next turn. I'll just Set one card face-down and end my turn."

"Alright, my turn!" Mokuba shouted, drawing quickly. "I Summon Assault Wyvern to the field in Attack Position!" a black and blue dragon appeared on Mokuba's field, utterly eclipsed by both Yuya's Xyz Dragon and Mokuba's own Chaos MAX Dragon [ATK: 1800]. "Now I enter my Battle Phase! Chaos MAX Dragon, attack Dark Rebellion Dragon! _Maximum Burst of Chaos_!"

A powerful energy ripped forth from the mouth of Mokuba's dragon, tearing a hole right through the stomach of Yuya's, destroying it.

[Yuya: 2500 LP]

Yuya threw his hand out. "I play my Trap, Performapal Revival! Since my dragon was destroyed, I can revive my Performapal Inflater Tapir from the Graveyard!" the weird-looking purple tapir reappeared on Yuya's field [DEF: 2000].

"Alright then. I end my turn." Mokuba said.

Yuya drew a card and then Set it in his Duel Disk. "I Set one card face-down, and end my turn."

Mokuba drew from his Deck. "I enter my Battle Phase and attack your Inflater Tapir with my Chaos MAX Dragon-"

Once again, Yuya flung his hand out. "I reveal my Command Performance Trap Card! This card forces all Monsters you control into Defense Position, and you can't change their Battle Positions until the end of the next turn." [Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon: DEF: 0] [Assault Wyvern: DEF: 1000].

"How many Trap Cards are you going to play?" Mokuba asked cheekily. "I'm kidding. This is fun." He smiled. "Of course, since there's nothing else I can do, I'm going to end my turn."

Yuya smiled back at Mokuba and drew once more from his Deck. "I Summon Performapal Salutiger!" the royally-dressed tiger appeared on Yuya's field, turning back and saluting him [ATK: 1700]. "Now I switch my Tapir to Attack Position and enter my Battle Phase!" [Performapal Inflater Tapir: ATK: 1000]. "Inflater Tapir, attack Chaos MAX Dragon!" Yuya's tapir inhaled, filling its body with air before blowing out a strong puff of air, corroding Mokuba's dragon until it was completely eradicated. "Now, Salutiger, attack Assault Wyvern!" Yuya's tiger turned back to him and saluted once more before jumping into the air and knocking Assault Wyvern to the ground, Mokuba's wyvern destroyed. "Next I activate my Salutiger's effect: when he destroys a Monster, I'm allowed to add a Performapal Pendulum Monster from my Deck to my hand." Yuya's Deck shuffled a card to the top, which he then drew. "I add Performapal Silver Claw to my hand and end my turn."

"Depending on what Mr. Kaiba draws now, Yuya could win on his next turn…" Declan muttered.

Mokuba didn't seem at all concerned by the fact that Yuya had taken control of the field. Mokuba smiled, looked down at his Deck, closed his eyes and drew. "I activate the Spell Card Monster Reborn, and Special Summon my Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon from the Graveyard!" the transparent image of a green ankh appeared behind Mokuba as his massive three-headed white dragon reappeared on the field [ATK: 4500]. Yuya froze, and Mokuba gave him a thumbs down. "Sorry, Yuya, but this is it – Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon! _Ultimate Burst Stream_!"

The three heads of Mokuba's dragon charged its attack in their mouths, before throwing their heads forward as multiple streams of light came forth, striking Yuya's chest, the young boy dropping to his knees in defeat.

[Yuya: 0 LP]

"Yuya…" Celina muttered.

" _Da~mn_ , son! You got straight _wrecked_!" Tim shouted.

"Nah, you did really well." Mokuba assured him, Yuya picking himself up.

"You _can't_ be serious!" Just at the mere sound of the man's voice, I was brought back to that moment in the Satellite, and the last conversation I'd had with him.

_You talk about all this shit I've done in the past, but at least I've learned about how to be a decent person. You'd never catch me betraying Yusei or anyone else now! But you… you just do whatever the Hell you see fit. You haven't learned anything, you're more a terrible person now than I ever was!_

"Jack…" Mokuba muttered, him and everyone else turning to the tall blond dressed in his familiar white outfit, standing in Gurei's corner and looking down at us.

"That was one of the most disappointing Duels I've ever seen." Jack announced, his eyes moving to Mokuba. " _You_ did well, Mokuba," Jack began, "but _I_ could have defeated Yuya on my first turn."

Mokuba scratched the back of his head. "I'm no Duel King, Jack. I was just lucky that I was able to draw the cards I did."

"Luck?" Jack huffed. "Your brother's Duelist Soul dwells within those cards and you call it _luck_?" Jack shook his head, turning to Yuya. "And as for you, when you were confronted with the power of Mokuba's Blue-Eyes', instead of rising to meet his power with your own, you cowered in fear and resorted to cheap stall tactics. From what I saw, you lack the power to climb the King's Summit." Jack then turned to Declan. "If these are the _best_ Duelists you've got, I'd hate to see your worst."

"Alright, calm down, Jack. He's just a kid." Mokuba told him.

Once more, Jack shook his head. "Age doesn't matter in the Dueling World. It's all about how good you are. And no matter what, I never plan on losing… to anyone…" he said, the tall blond continuing to look down on us from Gurei's position, no doubt judging us. His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked down at me, shifting his gaze several times between Crow, Shinji and myself. Jack then shook his head, turned and left.

"I actually think he did rather well." Bordeaux's face briefly broke a smile as he turned to Taki. "What did you think, Taki?"

Taki nodded. "I agree. Defeating a Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon is a feat that only two other Duelists have been able to achieve. You should be proud."

"If the rest of you are this strong, then I'm really looking forward to the Friendship Cup~" Gurei smiled.

"Anyway, for those of you wanting to compete in the Friendship Cup, we will soon begin preparations for your stay at the hotel. Once preparations are complete, you will be moved there and be allowed to stay until you are eliminated from the tournament." Azul explained.

"Zuzu and the rest of the competitors will be arriving at the hotel at some point as well." Declan added.

"Best of luck, everyone!" Mokuba smiled. I just kept my eyes on where Jack had stood only moments ago, his outward appearance more or less the same person I'd left behind in my Dimension, and I found myself mouthing his name.

* * *

"Not bad…" Tim muttered, he and I standing in our shared room at the Holiday Inn Hotel. It was small but not cramped, two beds side by side, a bedside table in-between, and a massive widescreen TV embedded in the wall opposite the beds. The room's curtains were pulled back, giving us a spectacular view of the stadium below, as well as other parts of Neo Domino City as well. The moon was still high in the sky, an eerie glow gently caressing the still waters that separated the Tops and Commons areas.

I removed my Duel Disk from my arm and threw my vest over a chair as I collapsed onto one of the beds, facing the ceiling. I groaned and yawned at the same time. "Oh my God…" I moaned, stretching myself out on the bed. Considering what my sleeping arrangements had been for the last few days, the hotel bed was definitely a step up.

"You good there?" Tim asked, looking down at me.

I rolled over. "Y-yeah…"

"Things have been pretty crazy, huh?" Tim raised his eyebrows. I nodded. Tim moved to sit down on his bed, a fist pressed against his lips as though he was pondering something. "Hey… sorry I kinda thrusted being partners on you without warning. I just figured that it'd be best if we stuck together."

"Th-that's alright." I told him. "Nothing's really sunk in yet. Everything's just been happening non-stop. First Crow and Shinji, then R-Rogét, and now this…" I sighed. "I'll… definitely need a vacation when this is over…" I mumbled. Tim turned to me and smiled for a moment, his smile breaking as his eyes veered from mine. "Wh-what…?"

"What you said before," Tim began, "about life being pointless 'cause everyone's gonna die… you don't _really_ still think like that, do you?"

It was a fair question, but honestly, what answer was Tim expecting me to give? "I-I-I…"

"'cause if you do, then I haven't done anything to help you, and this whole thing has been a waste of time so far."

"A w-w-w-waste of t-time?" I asked. "Y-you're talking as if w-we've-"

"There's no point in trying to get you home if you're gonna bring all your bullshit with you! Leave all that here, otherwise your friends won't want a bar of you." Tim said sternly. "With how you've been acting, I could've just brought you back to life and left you at the shoreline in your Dimension, 'cause it would've been all the same. You've got that look in your eyes like you're gonna throw your life away the next chance you get. I thought I got through to you in the Kmart Dimension."

"You did-"

"Well then what's the deal?"

"I-it's this whole thing! Other Dimensions! Multiple versions of different people! Multiple versions of history! I don't understand! I don't understand any of it!" I snapped, starting to shake. "Everything feels so meaningless… I-I-I can't… I just… I feel so insignificant…"

Tim cocked his head to the side. "You didn't _really_ think your Dimension was the only one, did you? I mean, that's a little presumptuous. 'My world is the only world that exists and there's nothing else beyond that'. Is that really what you thought?"

"I-I-I thought I was done… w-with Joel, with Kobi…"

"You _are_ , Tyler." Tim assured me. "Listen, mate, I get it. You wanted revenge on Kobi and Joel, I get it. I was the same. When my sister died, I devoted my whole life to training, makin' myself stronger so that one day I'd be able to kill the bastard that took her life. Part of it was revenge – I couldn't let that guy get away with what he did, but mostly… it was love. I loved my sister so much, and looking back, I'm sure she'd have been ashamed of how I acted in her name, but everything I did, I did for her, not me. Because she's the most important person in my life." Tim swiveled around on the bed and put a hand on my shoulder. "You might feel small and insignificant sometimes, but never forget that somewhere out in that vast multiverse there's someone who loves you. Doesn't matter what kind of love – empathy, the bond between friends, sexual attraction or unconditional love, _someone_ , somewhere out there loves you. And love is the strongest force we have. Stronger than magic. Stronger than smiles."

"Love?"

Tim nodded. "An old friend of mine once said 'I pity the fool who pities the living, and those peeps who live without love' or something like that."

"I… I-I-I…" I struggled to force my words out. "I-I do want to go home… s-seeing Jack today, i-it made me realize all the more that I can't just hide. I have to face my friends and face up to wh-what I've done. I'm not expecting any of them to forgive me or want to be my friend or whatever. I just want them to know I'm sorry about how I treated them and made them feel. I have to go back… t-t-to apologize." I felt my face get a little hotter. "I-I-I mean, obviously if Luna _did_ want to get back together with me after everything that's happened, and if the rest of my friends did forgive me for all the crap I put them through, that w-w-w-would be great, but it's not r-realistic. I c-c-c-can't just expect everything to be normal, to just forgive and forget. _I'm_ never going to f-forgive Joel for what he d-d-did, ever."

"Are you really gonna let those two derps define you? Forgive them or don't – it's up to you, but take it from someone who did what I'm tellin' you not to, don't spend your life trying to make someone suffer, 'cause once that's over, you won't have anythin' else. I betcha that Kobi and Joel felt really empty inside, and that's why they did what they did. It's all they had, to make you miserable."

It really was. I could see it in Kobi when I visited him in this Dimension. His appearance, his demeanor, the state of the house he'd been living in. In my counterpart's absence, he'd let it all go. And I was damn sure that it was the same in my Dimension.

_You ran away from New Domino to the Satellite and you wrote a letter basically throwing me under the bus! You abandoned your mother, and my family life's fucked up because of you!_

That's what my Joel had said to me two years ago. Even with my amnesia, I knew that Joel was only trying to make me feel like shit, make me miserable as Tim had said, because Kobi and Joel both had, if not me, nothing else. I'd been welcomed into a new circle of friends that treated me like family, and by doing what I did – betraying them and throwing it all away, killing Kobi and effectively doing the same to Joel – all I was doing was showing that _I_ had nothing else. That all I wanted was for them to die, for them to pay for what they'd done and would do to each and every version of me that existed.

But Tim was right. Hypothetically, if we got the boat back, and I spent the rest of my life traversing across Dimensions, killing every single counterpart of my stepfather and stepbrother, what would I do when I was done? What would I have achieved? And what would I have left?

I wanted to believe there was more to me than that, and there had been before, but I wasn't so sure. " _They_ felt empty inside?" I asked softly. " _I_ felt empty inside. I… fucking _hated_ every moment of my life when I was with them, and for Joel to even… to even _try_ to blame me…!"

"That was years ago, wasn't it? You need to _move on_." Tim pressed, sighing. "Listen, I don't wanna lie to you, so I'm gonna just lay everything out for you: You know how I told you about magic and all that? You know, that school that I'm a teacher at? Well, there are spells that can… remove or alter an individual's memories. And I know of a couple people there who could perform such spells on you, to rid you of all your… depressing wangst."

"R-really?"

"Let me finish." Tim said sternly. "Where we are now, there's no one who can help you, and you know what? Even _if_ I could get ahold of someone right now who'd be able to remove those troublesome memories from your mind, I still wouldn't, and you know why? Because it wouldn't matter! Whether or not you remember something doesn't change the fact that it happened! You can't just block things out because it's 'too hard' for you! You have to face your fears and move on! And you _have_ , you've done that! Kobi and Joel are gone now! So move on! The past has shaped you, like my past has shaped me, like everyone's past has shaped everyone. But don't let the past keep you from being who you want to be! I mean, surely you don't want to be a whiny brat your whole life, right?"

"Is that… is that really how you see me? Just some whiny brat…?" I asked softly. "'C-c-cause you know, I-I was starting to see you as a friend…"

Tim sighed. "I've told you before. I see all this potential in you, but you're weighed down by all this crap you've had to go through. Just… let that go. I know it's easier said than done, but if you keep bringing yourself back to that negative mindset, if you keep thinking about killing yourself or how much you want to die, you're never gonna escape it, no matter how much you try or say you want to."

I exhaled a slow, shallow breath. "Y-yeah-"

"Then there we go. Forget about Kobi and Joel. Focus on your friends. Focus on me, _us_. You and me – we're gonna _own_ this tournament, get the boat back, go home, and you're gonna fix everything with your friends, alright? Forget about the Joel in your Dimension. He probably hasn't been givin' any thought to you, and you shouldn't give any thought to him. If what you told me is true, then the fact that what happened _happened_ should be proof enough that Joel doesn't care and he never did. If you care about the fact that he doesn't, he's won." Tim sighed. "Do you get what I mean?"

"Yeah, I kn-know…" I mumbled.

"A'ight, good." Tim smiled, reaching over and ruffling my hair a little. "Anyhow, I think it's time you and _I_ got some sleep, my young friend."

I sighed, nodding as I looked around for any sign of a clock in the room, but there wasn't one. And if it hadn't have been for the moon outside, the City would have been pitch-black. It had been such a long night. Almost unreal.

I got off my bed, removing my shoes and pulling the covers back as I slid underneath them, Tim doing the same in his bed. It didn't take me too long to get comfortable, Tim sighing as he turned to face me. "Go~od night, Tyler."

"Good night, Tim." I smiled back. He was right. In everything he said, he was right. I turned over to face the moon outside the window. "Tim?"

"Yeah…?"

"Thanks… thanks for sticking with me…"

"No problem, Broseph…" Tim hummed.

Giving any thought.

I looked up at the moon and wondered if Luna had been thinking of me, my last waking thought a thought of her.

* * *

A synthesized bell dinged as Tim and I walked in through the door of Rathie Kurumizawa's card shop, two KC Guards following behind. I knew that because there was a sign out the front of the shop, and not because I'd been in before. I had gone to card shops a couple of times when I was younger, but the most recent time I'd gone was just before heading off to Rex Goodwin's Mansion with Luna, Yusei and the others.

There was only one other person in the card shop aside from the staff, a person who, after seeing the KC Guards, looked as though he would rather have been anywhere else. He stopped rummaging through Booster Packs, took one look at us, smiled cautiously and left the shop.

"Well, hey… we got Weeaboo Jones over here…" Tim muttered, looking at the various figurines of female Duel Monsters propped up on a shelf behind the counter. "Anyway, what do we need?"

"Well, apart from a Deck, you'll need a D-Duel Disk as well." I pointed to a display case that had a whole bunch of different-colored tablets in it.

Tim nodded, walking over to the display case and looking at the different tablets. There wasn't really any difference between them aside from the color. "The gold color's pretty sick…" Tim muttered, walking over to the counter. "Yo! Weeaboo Jones! Can I get one of those gold Duel Disks?"

"Uh, the name's _Rathie_ , and yes you can. What color hard light would you like for the blade?" he asked.

"Gold. Just everything gold. Gold is for winners, and you're lookin' at the biggest winner in the multiverse."

"What?"

"Don't worry about it."

Rathie sighed, turning behind him and grabbing a box with a tablet on the front of it, handing it to Tim. "Here you go. The instruction manual's inside, be sure to read it." He then turned his attention to the KC Guard. "I, uh… I'm assuming this is High Council business, yes?"

One of the guards nodded. "Yes. These two are to be entering the Friendship Cup this year by order of the Council. The Kaiba Corporation will reimburse you for any products we take from here today."

"Ah, that's much appreciated." Rathie smiled, reaching behind him once more, this time sliding two small booklets across the counter. "If one of you is asking for a Duel Disk, I'm going to assume you're a beginner. You might want to give this a read too. It's the official Duel Monsters Rulebook."

"A rulebook?" Tim asked. "What am I? A ruler?"

"Th-th-thank you v-very much…" I smiled, inwardly hating the fact that I stuttered as I took one of the rulebooks. It was clear that I needed a refresher, as the rules for Dueling in this Dimension seemed to be at least slightly different to the rules in my own. Tim neglected taking his rulebook, so I took his as well, stuffing both into my pockets, planning on making him read through it later.

"You can also have these too." Rathie slid two folded over game mats across the counter. "These'll help teach you where cards get placed on the field."

"Th-thank you…" I nodded, taking the mats.

"Okay…" Tim tapped the side of his leg as he looked over at the box of packs on the edge of the counter that the other man had been going through before he left. "Cards…"

My eyes drifted to the packs of cards hanging on the wall behind the counter.

I knew it was a different Dimension to my own, but there were so many Booster Packs I had never seen before – one was called Age of Discovery. Another was called Valkyrie's Rage. Thankfully though, there were many older Booster Packs I did recognize – the Dark Beginning and Dark Revelation sets to name a few. I wasn't sure if the packs had the same cards in them that they did in my Dimension, and there was no way of me knowing for sure, as I couldn't see a computer or anything that I could use to look up the cards in the packs, but I didn't have anything else to go on. I just had to assume that, more or less, the packs that I recognized were the same ones in my Dimension.

"Hey, Tyler, which one of these is just Monsters?" Tim asked, holding up two different Booster Packs – Land of the Titans, and Threat of the Dark Demon World.

"I don't know, but hopefully, n-neither of them. A good Deck should have a combination of Monster, Spell and Trap Cards."

Tim looked down at both the packs, and then back up at me. "What's the point if I can't just attack?"

"Well, Spell and Trap Cards can be really useful to help your Monsters out. Y-you saw with Yuya's Duel against Mokuba, didn't you?" I glanced over at the KC Guard. "Uh… Mr. Kaiba I mean. How… how Yuya was able to take down his Blue-Eyes Monsters by combining the use of Monsters with Traps." It felt weird for me to say Mokuba instead of Seto Kaiba when referring to his Blue-Eyes. "A-and then Mr. Kaiba won by using a Spell Card?"

"If you say so…" Tim muttered, putting both packs back.

"But, it's all about what you feel comfortable playing. There's no point in trying to use a Deck that you don't click with. We need to get you something that's easy for you to understand, and that you can adapt to quickly."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, are you saying I'm stupid?" Tim asked.

"N-no, that's not what I'm saying at all. I-it's just that this game can get pretty complicated. It's best to start with something easy and build up from there. The Dark Beginning packs might be a good idea for us to start with. They'll help you get a f-f-feel for things." I turned to Rathie, and opened my mouth to ask 'Can I get five packs of Dark Beginning 1 please?', but of course, my dumb speech impediment prevented me from saying anything, my mouth hanging open as I stood there in silence like a complete retard. I edged away from the counter and turned to Tim. "W-w-w-w-would you mind… t-t-t-talking for me?" I asked.

"Yeah," Tim threw his head back, gesturing to Rathie, "can I get Dank Beginning 1 and 2?"

" _Dark_ Beginning? How many would you like?" Rathie asked.

" _All_ of them!" Tim roared.

Rathie looked to the KC Guards who nodded, reaching behind him and grabbing the Booster Boxes of both sets and sliding them across the counter. "Are you trying to pull the Exodia pieces?" Rathie chuckled. "Good luck. There hasn't been a Duelist in history that's been able to get all the pieces together in a Deck, much less even _Summon_ Exodia."

I raised my eyebrows. That didn't sound quite right to me. After all, I knew of the King of Games, Yugi Muto, and how his first victory over Seto Kaiba came about only because Yugi was able to Summon Exodia.

Did that mean that Yugi Muto, or at least a version of him, didn't exist in this Dimension?

I shook my head. Yugi Muto had to exist, I thought. After all, my counterpart possessed a Deck that was very similar to Yugi's, as was the case with me when I was younger. Perhaps the evolution of Yugi's Deck took a different path in this Dimension. One that didn't include Exodia at all.

That had to be the most plausible. Everyone knew the story, after all. How the National Champion, 'Insector' Weevil Underwood, threw Yugi's Exodia cards overboard on the way to Duelist Kingdom. There had to have been different timelines or Dimensions where Weevil _hadn't_ succeeded, and Yugi continued to use Exodia, and evolve his Deck with Exodia as its centerpiece, but this obviously wasn't one of them. No, this was a Dimension where Yugi never Summoned Exodia in the first place. Supposedly, no one had ever Summoned Exodia.

"Listen buddy, I don't even know what Exodia is, so keep your stupid comments in your pocket." Tim grabbed both the boxes and turned back to me. "Anything you want?"

"I don't know…"

"Alright, we'll take one of everything then." Tim smiled like it was no big deal.

* * *

The last time I'd built a Deck was when I teamed up with Zone to kill Joel and destroy New Domino City. I'd been given an opportunity to build a Deck from perhaps the largest card collection in existence, and while Tim and I hadn't accrued anywhere _near_ the same number of cards that Zone had, it was still an impressive collection.

And at least this time, I was doing things for the right reasons.

I wanted to strengthen my own Deck with some of the cards that we'd gotten, but the most important thing was making sure that Tim had a Deck of his own to Duel with first. I could have completely forgone making any changes to my Deck, but if Tim didn't have a functional Deck by the time the tournament started, we wouldn't have stood any chance at all.

Besides, part of me didn't really want to make any changes to my Deck, because it wasn't _mine_. It was my counterpart's. I didn't feel right taking things apart and changing things when he'd obviously built the Deck how he wanted it. And they weren't just cards, they were Duel Spirits too, and everything needed synergy. If there was no harmony within the Deck itself, it wouldn't have worked anyway, no matter how many powerful cards I threw in.

I turned to Tim to see him ripping packs open left and right, not really even caring if he damaged the cards in the process.

"Whoa, you might w-want to take it easy there, Tim." I cautioned.

"I know what I'm doin'," he insisted, but he clearly didn't, as he seemed more interested in the packaging than he did the cards themselves. Cards were getting strewn about on his bed, but Tim would just reach over for the next pack and open it without even looking at the cards he got from the pack he'd just opened.

"Aren't you going to check out what cards you got? You know, th-the main reason we _got_ these packs?"

"I'll look at them later…" Tim mumbled, "right now I'm busy."

I sighed, reaching over and grabbing a pile of cards from Tim's bed, taking it upon myself to at least make a start building a Deck for him. It wasn't going to be a good Deck by any means – I'd readily admit that I wasn't very creative when it came to Deck Construction, but I wasn't building him something for the tournament anyway. No, I'd decided I'd build something to at least help him start to understand how to play the game first and foremost.

I started putting in all kinds of different cards even if they didn't fit together thematically. Monsters like Beaver Warrior, Giant Rat and Penguin Soldier, together with Spells like Mystical Space Typhoon, Monster Reborn and Upstart Goblin, and Traps like Trap Hole, Call of the Haunted and Seven Tools of the Bandit.

Obviously, once Tim had gotten the hang of things, I'd help him build a proper Deck to the best of my ability with all the cards we had, but my line of thinking was that even if Tim had the most powerful Deck in the world, he'd still lose if he didn't understand the basic rules of the game.

"Okay," I shuffled Tim's Deck, "s-s-so… here's a Deck I just wh-whipped up to help you get started. Why don't you read through the rulebook and give the r-r-r-rules a quick r-read?" I suggested, passing Tim's Deck to him, which he took.

Tim's eyes widened and narrowed as he looked over the cards in the Deck I'd built for him. "Nah, man, some of these cards are lame. Gotta put some cool ones in." Tim said, shuffling through the Deck and taking out a few of the cards I'd put in and replacing them with others.

"Um… m-m-maybe w-we should just try and get the b…basics down before we go making any changes to the Deck." I suggested.

"Bruh, you saw Yu _yass_ , right? He had a Deck full of circus animals, and they got wrecked by Mokubro's rad dragons. I want something like that, like a bunch of those Exodias that Weeaboo Jones was hyping up."

"I'm not sure about that, Tim. The man at the card shop seemed adamant that the Exodia cards were hard to pull. Besides, just because a card _looks_ strange doesn't mean it's not powerful. P-p-p-p-please, Tim. Y-you've asked me to trust you, now please, trust me. I'm not the best Duelist, but I've been in my fair share of Duels. I helped defeat the Dark Signers, and I went up against one of the Three Emperors of Yliaster." I sighed. "I know those names probably don't mean anything to you, but trust me. Let's just try and get the hang of things now with this, and we can make whatever changes you want to the Deck once you're more comfortable with the game and know what kind of Deck you want to run."

"Alright, alright, I trust you." Tim smiled, shuffling his Deck but keeping the cards he'd added to it. I took both of the game mats and unfolded them, placing them together. "We _do_ shuffle these, right?" Tim asked.

I nodded. "S-so, when we're playing in the tournament, we'll be using our Duel Disks, which will shuffle our Decks for us, but for now, yeah, that's fine."

"Cool."

"Okay, place your Deck face-down on the mat where it says 'Deck Zone', and we're ready to go." I smiled.

[Tyler: 4000 LP]  
[Tim: 4000 LP]

"Now, I'll explain all the Tag Duel rules later, so d-d-d-don't worry ab-bout any of that now. L-let's just do a one-on-one Duel. We each start with four thousand Life Points – or LP."

"Okay, so how many cards do we draw?" Tim asked.

"Okay," I prepped, "so we draw… five cards at the beginning, and then if it's," I could feel it inside, knowing that I was going to stutter, "then if… i-if it's y-y-your turn first… you don't draw… but if you're going second, you do. That's why I lost two thousand Life Points when I went up against that Sector Security officer, 'cause I drew when I wasn't supposed to. Apparently, if you perform an illegal move in this Dimension, you lose two thousand Life Points as a penalty." I shook my head. "Anyway, l-let's draw five." I said, Tim and I drawing five cards each from our Decks. "I'll go first to give you an example of wh-what you can do."

"Go ahead," Tim nodded.

"Now, since I'm going first, and this is the first turn of the Duel, I don't draw." I reiterated.

"Uh-huh…"

"But on my _n-next_ turn, I _can_ draw. This is called the Draw Phase, we have one of these at the start of our turns." I continued to explain poorly, thanks to my speech impediment.

"Okay, gotcha."

"Alright," I looked down at my hand, "I will activate a Spell Card called Magical Contract Door," I placed the card face-up onto my mat in a Spell and Trap Zone.

"Uh-huh…" Tim peered over at the card.

"This card allows me to give you a Spell Card from my hand, and that gets added to your hand, and then I get to add a high-level Dark Monster from my Deck to my hand." I handed Tim the Magical Dimension from my hand. "So, I'm now allowed to go through my Deck – in normal gameplay, you're not allowed to randomly go through your Deck during a Duel, unless a card says so." I picked my Deck up, quickly thumbing through it and taking out a card, showing it to Tim. "So, I will select my Magician of Dark Illusion, and I'm going to add that to my hand."

"Okay," he said as I added the card to my hand.

"Then, I shuffle my Deck. You pretty much always have to shuffle when you search your Deck for a card." I told him, shuffling my Deck before placing it back down on the mat in the Deck Zone. "Now that Magical Contract Door's effect is finished, I place the card in the Graveyard, and that part's done."

"Uh-huh…"

"So, now I'll Normal Summon my Celtic Guard of Noble Arms." I said, placing the card from my hand onto the field face-up [ATK: 2100].

"Oh, yeah…" Tim once again peered over at the card.

"He's in Attack Position, so vertical, and he's got twenty-one hundred Attack Points." I explained, rotating the card so that Tim could get a better look at it. "When we play with the Duel Disks, there's a screen on the tablet, so you'll be able to get a better look at the cards your opponent plays."

"Right…"

"Now, since this was the first turn of the Duel, I'm not allowed to attack, so I'll end my turn. Now it's your turn, and you get to draw a card."

"I see…" Tim drew from his Deck, looking over his hand. "These green ones, the Spell Cards, are you allowed to put those face-down?"

"Yep."

"Okay, that's good." Tim went back to looking at his hand. "This one card I've got says something about a Special Summon, but that's a bit beyond me at this stage. So, instead, I'll play this guy, King of Yamimakai." He said, placing the card onto the mat.

"Yeah, you can't actually do that." I interjected.

"Huh? Why not?"

"See how there's five stars on the card? That's the Monster's Level. Monsters that are Level five and six need one Tribute before they can be Normal Summoned."

"But your Celtic Guard guy's got one hundred more Attack Points than mine."

"Doesn't matter. When it comes to a Normal Summon, it's the Level that matters, not the Attack Points."

Tim sighed. "Well that's _stupid_ …"

"Now, if we were playing in the tournament and you did that, you'd be able to keep that Monster out on the field, but we'd take a two thousand Life Point penalty, but since this _isn't_ a tournament, we'll forget the penalty and you can just play another Monster instead."

"Okay," Tim retrieved King of Yamimakai, "well, then, instead, I'll put a face-down Defense Monster," he said, Setting a card onto the field before looking back to me. "Can you only Summon one Monster a turn?" he asked.

"Yeah, only one. Unless it's a Sp-Sp-Special Summon. You can only N-N-N-N…" I stopped, attempting to start again, "only N… only Normal Summon once per turn." I sighed. "Sorry."

"It's alright," Tim assured me, "take your time."

I closed my eyes and took a moment to try and recompose myself. "Yeah… one Normal Summon per turn, your turn, unless another card says you can perform another one."

"Okay, well then, I'll just keep that Monster and put a face-down card behind it." Tim Set another card. "Just to get it out of my hand. And then… I'll end my turn."

"Cool, well, now I can draw, since it's not the first turn of the Duel anymore," I drew from my Deck, "and I Set a card face-down." I did just that, placing Dig of Destiny face-down. "Now, in a normal situation, I would enter my Battle Phase and attack, but I can't do that, because my Celtic Guard of Noble Arms can't attack as long as I have any cards in my hand. So it's your turn."

"That's handy."

I nodded. "It's part of the reason why I can Normal Summon him without a Tribute, while you have to Tribute a Monster for King of Yamimakai – he doesn't have a drawback."

"Ah," Tim noted, looking over his hand again as he drew, "so many Spell Cards…"

I chuckled. "Sorry, I just thought I'd better throw something together quickly for you. We'll work on your Deck once you have a better understanding of the game and you figure out how you want to play and what you want to do."

Tim nodded. "What if… I wanted to Summon this guy," Tim showed me a Beaver Warrior in his hand, "am I immediately able to Tribute him for King of Yamimakai?"

"No, Normal Summoning Beaver Warrior would count as your… as your one N-Normal Summon for the turn. A Tribute Summon is classed as a Normal Summon. If you wanted, you _could_ Tribute the Monster that you've already got on the field." I said, pointing to Tim's Set card.

"I think I'll just Normal Summon this," Tim said, placing Beaver Warrior onto the mat [ATK: 1200], "and then I'll just end my turn."

"Well, I think that's a good choice, strategically, because as long as I have cards in my hand, I can't attack with Celtic Guard of Noble Arms." I explained.

Tim scratched the back of his head. "I probably should have put Beaver Warrior in Defense Position, right? Sideways?"

"Well, y-yeah, you _could_ have, but as I said, I can't attack you anyway yet, so…" I trailed off. "Face- _down_ Defense Position I mean, _not_ face-up. In _my_ Dimension, you _can_ Normal Summon in face-up Defense Position, but here, you can't, and doing so would, again, cost you two thousand Life Points as a penalty."

"I'm not sure I understand, but I'm just gonna say 'yes'."

"Okay…" I chuckled, drawing. I looked over the cards I had in my hand. "I'm going to end my turn again, 'cause I can't attack if I have cards in my hand, so it's back to you."

Tim closed his eyes as he drew. "Please not a Spell Card…" I heard him mutter. Tim opened his eyes and I couldn't discern from his expression if it was in fact a Spell Card that he drew. "Alright, I'm going to Tribute my Beaver Warrior," Tim slid the card into the Graveyard, "and Normal Summon King of Yamimakai." [ATK: 2000].

"Nice." I encouraged.

Tim paused. "Um… and then…"

"Remember, my Celtic Guard of Noble Arms has one hundred more Attack Points than your King of Yamimakai, so if you attacked, my Monster would win."

"That's alright. I've got a plan." Tim told me. "I play my face-down, this pink one, DNA Surgery, which apparently lets me change the type of all Monsters on the field. So, I'll change all the Monster types to Spellcaster. And then, uh… I play Magical Dimension, the card you gave me, to Tribute my King of Yamimakai – which is now a Spellcaster, to _Special_ Summon another Spellcaster, and then I can destroy one Monster on your field."

"Okay, have you got a Spellcaster in your hand?" I asked, "'cause DNA Surgery only works for Monsters on the field, not in the hand."

Tim smiled. "It just so happens I do… although it's not as _good_." Tim picked King of Yamimakai up. "So, this is a Spellcaster?" he said, his tone phrasing it like a question.

"Yes." I confirmed, Tim placing the card into the Graveyard.

"So I Tribute him to play _this_." Tim placed Left Arm of the Forbidden One onto the field in Attack Position [ATK: 200]. "And _now_ , I can destroy _that_ guy." Tim pointed to my Celtic Guard of Noble Arms and I placed him in the Graveyard.

"I didn't put that in your Deck. Is that one of the cards you slipped in?" I asked, referring to Left Arm of the Forbidden One.

"Well, that guy said that Exodia was good." Tim shrugged. "I thought I'd put the pieces in my Deck."

"Yeah, but the objective is to keep the pieces in your hand. Exodia's effect only works if his head and all the other pieces are in your hand."

"The other pieces?" Tim asked. "How many pieces are there?"

"Five, including the Left Arm you've got out."

"Oh…"

"Why? How many did you put in your Deck?"

"I dunno, three?"

My eyes widened. "H-how'd you manage to get _three_?"

Tim shrugged. "I dunno, I guess I'm just lucky."

"And are they three _different_ ones?"

"Yeah, I got, uh… a leg and two arms, 'cause I skimmed the rulebook and it says you can only have up to three of the same card in your Deck."

"Each piece is a different card."

"Oh… this game is weird…" Tim muttered.

I shook my head. "Anyway, um… we'll figure that out later. Let's keep going."

"Okay," Tim nodded. "…Whose turn was it?"

"Yours."

"Right… well I will utilize my Set Monster, and flip him into face-up Attack Position." Tim Flip Summoned Giant Soldier of Stone [ATK: 1300]. "And I will enter my… my Battle Phase, was it?" Tim asked. I nodded. "And attack with both."

"Alright, awesome. So since I don't have any Monsters on the field, the Attack Points of both Monsters are subtracted from my Life Points, so I lose fifteen hundred, and that takes me down to twenty-five hundred." I briefly, poorly, explained damage calculation.

[Tyler: 2500 LP]

"I like this Deck." Tim smiled innocently.

"We'll make a better one. Anyway, I activate my face-down Trap Card, Dig of Destiny." I flipped the card over. "Since I took b-b-b-b-battle damage, I'm able to draw a card from my Deck." I drew, and then placed Dig of Destiny in the Graveyard. "Is that the end of your turn?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Okay. I now draw for my Draw Phase." I said, doing just that, looking over my cards once more. "I Set a Monster in Defense Position, and then I Set one card face-down." I placed two cards, Clear Kuriboh and Dimension Reflector, down onto the mat. "Your turn."

"Alright. I draw a card." He verbalized, looking over his cards for a while. "I end my turn."

"Okay. I draw." I smiled at having drawn Apple Magician Girl. "I Set one card, and I Normal Summon Apple M-M-M-Magician Girl…" I turned away in disgust at my speech, nevertheless placing the card onto the mat [ATK: 1200], preceded by a face-down Spiritual Swords of Revealing Light.

"Oh, hey, it's Red. Go eat an apple, why don't ya."

I cracked a little. "She's got, uh… twelve hundred," I could feel a stutter coming up, so I repeated to try and push through it, "twelve hundred… twelve hundred Attack Points… so I enter my B-Battle Phase, and I attack your Left Arm of the For…bidden One with my Apple Magician Girl."

"Okay, so what happens now?"

"Well, since Monsters are battling, we look at the difference in Attack Points between the two, subtracting the lowest number from the highest. So twelve hundred minus two hundred, which is one thousand, and that is subtracted from your Life Points."

[Tim: 3000 LP]

"Right…"

"And then your Left Arm of the Forbidden One is destroyed, sent to the Graveyard."

"Okay,"

"I end my turn."

"And what a turn it was." Tim smiled, drawing. "Okay, so I'm a little confused about Exodia, when you have all the pieces in your hand, does that mean…?"

"You win, yes."

"Okay, nice…"

"But you've only got three pieces in your Deck, right? And even if you _had_ all five, you've lost your Left Arm of the Forbidden One – that's in the Graveyard now, so, you can't get-"

"Too bad I don't have some way to… _reborn_ a Monster…" Tim raised his eyebrows.

I started laughing, instantly knowing what card he'd planned to use. "No, but that brings it back to the field, not your hand."

"Oh, damn it… I didn't plan that out…" Tim had an uncharacteristically defeated look on his face before he sighed. "Well, anyway, for this turn I'm going to use Monster Reborn." Tim placed the card from his hand onto the field.

"Okay. Just to clarify, you can also use it to Special Summon something from my Graveyard if you wanted to. But the only Monster I've got right now is Celtic Guard of N-Noble Arms, and you w-w-wouldn't be able to attack with him anyway."

"That's okay. King of Yamimakai is _way_ cooler." Tim said, moving the Monster from his Graveyard to a Monster Card Zone and then placing Monster Reborn into the Graveyard [King of Yamimakai: ATK: 2000].

"Yeah, alright-"

"He's the _best_."

"Right."

"So, I'm going to… _attack_! King of Yamimakai attacks Apple Magician Girl!"

"Okay, I activate Spiritual Swords of Revealing Light." I flipped over my Trap Card. "This card stops the attack at the cost of one thousand Life Points."

[Tyler: 1500 LP]

"I've been stopped…" Tim said sadly.

"Apple Magician Girl remains on the field."

"Am I allowed to attack her again?" Tim asked.

"Yes, you can attack again with your Giant Soldier of Stone if you want, but Spiritual Swords of Revealing Light is a Continuous Trap Card, like your DNA Surgery, which means I can activate its effect each time if I want."

"Will that cost you Life Points?"

I nodded. "Yes. Each time I activate the effect, I have to pay one thousand Life Points as a cost."

Tim shrugged. "Well then either way, I'm gonna attack with my Giant Soldier of Stone."

"In that case, I activate Apple M-Magician Girl's effect, to Special Summon from my hand, Kiwi Magician Girl." I placed the purple-haired Spellcaster onto the field [ATK: 1800].

"Go eat a kiwi, why don't ya."

"Right, well, um… Apple Magician Girl's effect switches the attack target to Kiwi Magician Girl."

" _That's_ mean."

"And then the attacking M-M-M-M-Monster's Attack Points are cut in half. So, Giant Soldier of Stone's thirteen hundred Attack Points becomes six hundred and fifty. Now we calculate the damage. Since my Monster is stronger, you take the difference in Attack Points as damage to your Life Points. That's eleven f-fifty."

[Tim: 1850 LP]

"And does my Giant Soldier of Stone die?"

"Yes."

Tim looked down at the card and picked it up. "Sorry, guy. You _rocked_ while you were with us." Tim then placed the card into the Graveyard.

"It's still your turn."

"Wait, it's _my_ turn?" Tim asked.

I nodded. "Yep, you attacked with your Monsters in your Battle Phase."

"Oh, alright, yeah, I'll end my turn."

I drew. "I'm going to Normal Summon Berry Magician Girl." I said, placing the card onto the field [ATK: 400] and waiting for Tim to say what he'd said the two previous times I'd Summoned a Magician Girl. "Aren't you going to say anything?"

"Uh… that's _berry_ good." Tim smiled. "Alright, eat a berry, why don't ya."

" _There_ we go." I smiled back. "Okay, I activate Berry Magician Girl's effect, and add a M-Magician Girl Monster from my Deck to my hand," I once again picked up my Deck and went through it, "I will add Dark Magician Girl to my hand, and end my turn."

"Thank you. Okay, I draw a card." Tim sighed at the card he drew, muttering "another Spell Card…" under his breath. "I will play the Equip Spell Card Horn of the Unicorn, and equip it to my King of Yamimakai, which grants him an extra seven hundred Attack Points." [King of Yamimakai: ATK: 2700].

"Nice."

"And I will attack Kiwi Magician Girl with King of Yamimakai."

"Awesome!" I encouraged. "So now, the difference between our Monsters' Attack Points, nine hundred, is subtracted from my Life Points, and Kiwi Magician Girl is destroyed."

[Tyler: 600 LP]

"So how long does Horn of the Unicorn stay equipped to my Monster for?" Tim asked.

"That stays equipped until he is destroyed, or I play a Spell Card like Mystical Space Typhoon or something to get r-rid of it."

"Okay, I see." Tim nodded. "Moving on, I will activate this Spell Card, Change of Heart." Tim placed the card from his hand onto the mat. "With this, I can target one Monster that you control, and I can take control of that Monster-"

"Yeah, but y-you can't attack 'cause you've already attacked with King of Yamimakai, and you're now playing a Spell Card."

"Wait, you can't attack?" Tim looked at me, puzzled.

"Sorry, I should have explained Phases a little better. You can only activate Normal Spell Cards, like Change of Heart, during your Main Phase. If you move from your Battle Phase and go to your Main Phase 2 to activate a Spell Card, you can't then go back to your B-B-B-B-Battle Phase. You can only go through each Phase of a turn once, unless a card effect forces you to skip or repeat a Phase."

"Ah, so there's only one Battle Phase, but there's _two_ Main Phases?"

"That's right. W-w-w-what you could have done is play Change of Heart in your Main Phase 1 either before or after using Horn of the Unicorn on your King of Yamimakai."

"So did I just waste this card then?" Tim asked.

"Yeah, but don't worry about it. It's all a learning experience, and I should be explaining things a little better."

"Well, I'm gonna stick to my guns and target Berry Magician Girl, and make her move one Zone over."

"Actually, the Monster you target moves to your side of the field."

"Well there we go."

"And then-"

"But I only have control until the end of my turn, right?" Tim asked.

"Yes, and this is your Main Phase 2, so y-you can't really do anything with her." I clarified too late.

"Can I Tribute her?"

"Yeah, sure, if you've got a Monster that requires a Tribute to Normal Summon, you can Tribute both her _and_ King of Yamimakai if you need to, since you haven't Normal Summoned this turn yet. Have… have you got a Monster that you can Tribute Summon?"

"No, I wish I did." Tim chuckled. "If I had, would that mean the Monster I Summoned at the end of this turn would go to your side of the field?"

I shook my head. "Nope. Cards that switch control of a Monster only work for the one Monster unless it specifically states otherwise. But, but that's a very good strategy. You can use cards like Change of Heart to take control of an opponent's Monster, Tribute it for something stronger, and then attack with that Monster, and that'll still be yours after the End Phase of the turn, and the opponent won't get their Monster back. You could even take control of an opponent's strong Monster, and Tribute it for a _weaker_ Monster, which w-w-would still be an effective use for it, 'cause they'd lose a powerful Monster."

"Right, I think I get it…" Tim stretched. "Well, anyway, I end my turn."

"Okay, so, Berry Magician Girl returns to my side of the field, and I get to draw a card at my Draw Phase." I drew. "I'll Set a Monster face-down and end my turn." I placed Marshmacaron face-down.

Tim drew from his Deck and I flipped over a Trap Card. "I activate my Trap Card, Dimension Reflector, and with it, I can target two M-Monsters I control and B-B-B-Banish them, so I B-Banish Apple Magician Girl and Berry Magician Girl, which means they don't go to the Graveyard, they're removed from the game."

"Okay," Tim nodded.

"Then, I get to target one Monster – your King of Yamimakai – and Dimension Reflector becomes a Monster-"

"Wait, so a Trap Card can be a _Monster_ as well?"

"Yep. Certain cards can be treated as more than one type of card if its effect allows it. In this case, Dimension Reflector is treated as both a Monster _and_ a Trap Card, so you could still use something like Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy it." I shook my head. "Anyway, that's a whole other thing. My Dimension Reflector becomes a Monster with the same Attack Points as your King of Yamimakai – twenty-seven hundred." [Dimension Reflector: ATK: 2700].

"Right…"

"But that's not all. Dimension Reflector now inflicts that same amount of Attack Points as effect damage directly to your Life Points, so you take twenty-seven hundred points of direct damage."

"Damn it…" Tim muttered.

"Since you only have eighteen-fifty Life Points left, your Life Points drop to zero, which means I win the Duel."

[Tim: 0 LP]

"So that's it then? Game over?" Tim asked.

I nodded. "Yep…"

Tim sighed. "Damn, that's messed."

"So what do you think?"

"This game is so _weird_!" Tim shouted. "Like, okay, I get it, watching the Monsters fight each other with Real Solid Vision looks dope, but stripping that away, and having to deal with stuff like Tribute Summons, Special Summons, Flip Summons, Phases, which cards are Continuous and which ones aren't, Graveyards and Banished Monsters. It's just like… _what_?"

"That's not even counting the things we saw with Yuya and Mokuba last night, Ritual Summons and Xyz Summons. And on top of that, there's Fusion and Synchro Summons. Yuya said something about a Pendulum Summon that one time, which I'd never heard of until then. Each Dimension that has Duel Monsters in it probably has their own cards and Summon types and there's probably a whole bunch of different Special Summon techniques that exist for the game… yeah, it can be a bit daunting."

"I just want something easy, where it's like you pick up cards and then you win!" Tim huffed.

"Well, there _is_ Exodia. You've already got what, _three_ pieces out of five?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty lucky like that." Tim smiled. "Is that something I should play then?"

"Whatever you feel comfortable playing should be fine, Tim. I'll back you up as best I can. Anyway, let's forget about the Deck building for a moment, take a step back, and talk about what you could have done differently during our Duel…"

* * *

Tim and I spent the rest of the day really just going through all the rules and making sure that we both understood them. I found it quite easy to get myself up to speed, though there were a lot of things that the rulebook didn't cover, such as the aforementioned Fusion, Xyz and Pendulum Summons, the former of the three being the only one I really knew anything about.

One of my concerns was the 'Illegal Move Penalty' which was confirmed to be an anti-cheating measure that was a main component to the Duel Monsters game in this Dimension. I had to make sure that when I was teaching Tim the rules that I didn't get confused between what was legal in my Dimension and what was legal in this Dimension and end up teaching him the wrong rules as a result.

My main concern however became apparent to me as Tim and I went back over our Duel, so that I could show him where he could have made better plays, and I realized that _I_ could have made better plays. It was fine for Tim to make mistakes – he was a beginner, still learning. But _he_ was learning from _me_ , so I couldn't afford to make any mistakes or misplays.

I had learned something though: I really had no idea how to use my counterpart's Deck.

The light of the sun was just barely touching the sky, a deep purple, as Tim slept, crashed on top of his bed with about twelve different Decks worth of cards all around him. I turned over to the bedside table, taking my counterpart's Deck into my hands as I attempted to speak with the Spirits. "Hey…" I whispered, "Can any of you hear me?"

The Spirits of Apple Magician Girl, Magician of Dark Illusion, and Berry Magician Girl appeared beside me. "We're here…" Apple Magician Girl smiled.

"Listen, um… I just… I want to say… with… with all this stuff that's happened recently, my Duel against that Sector Security officer, my Duel just before with Tim, a-and the whole Friendship Cup thing coming up, I-I think it would be best if I… if I build a new Deck, like, from scratch."

"Have we done something wrong?" Apple Magician Girl asked softly.

"N-no, of course not. It's not you guys – it's me. I don't know how to use you to your true potential. I'm sure if my counterpart was here right now, _he_ would, but…" I shook my head. "Okay, like, just before, I had that Dimension Reflector card on the field for ages, not even realizing that its effect could have won me the Duel way earlier if I had've just _read_ the damn thing…" I exhaled. "Working things over with Tim, I've realized that a tournament isn't time for experimentation. I-I think it would be best for me, Tim, a-and you guys too i-if I built a new Deck for this tournament, with cards I actually know how to use in it. I just don't want to let Tim down. I-if we lose because… because I don't know how to use the cards in my own Deck properly, I'm not just screwing things up for myself, but for Tim as well. It would suck if I lost, but it would suck even more if _Tim_ lost because of me."

I kept my eyes on my Deck, averting the eyes of the Spirits, not wanting them to think that I blamed or hated them for my own inadequacy, that I was just going to abandon them. I wasn't, but I couldn't lose. I had to win.

"That's fine. Do what you need to do to win." Magician of Dark Illusion spoke.

I looked up from my Deck and into the eyes of the Magician of Dark Illusion, the only part of his face I could actually see.

Apple Magician Girl nodded. "Just know that we'll still watch over you and keep you safe."

"Thanks, guys…" I smiled. "I… I promise… I'll do the best I can…! For all of us…"

Even though I wasn't using my counterpart's cards, I knew with the Spirits watching over me, and with Tim's support, that even if I faltered, I'd have the strength I needed to overcome not only my own personal demons, but whatever trials the Friendship Cup presented as well.


	9. Black Hole Sun

"I draw!" Devack shouted, Luna throwing her hand out immediately after.

"I activate my face-down, Gift Card!" Luna shouted. "Normally, this card would increase your Life Points by three-thousand, but thanks to my face-up Bad Reaction to Simochi, your Life Points will _decrease_ by that amount instead!"

Devack was thrown back against the wall of fire he'd created when he'd initiated his Shadow Duel with Luna and me. His body was then pushed forward, and he dropped to the ground.

[Devack: 3000 LP]

"Nice work, Luna!" I encouraged. "Only a little more now and we will have won!"

Devack struggled to his feet. "You really think so…?" he asked softly, drawing.

"I do." I told him. "We've got almost twice as many Life Points as you, your field is empty, and thanks to my Prohibition, you can't Summon your Earthbound Immortal! Face it, Devack: this is your last turn!"

Devack looked down at the card he'd drawn and smiled. "You're right… this is my last turn…! I activate Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your Prohibition!" he shouted. My eyes widened and I braced myself as a cyclone blew my card away. " _Now_ …! I activate the effect of my Field Spell – Mausoleum of the Emperor: I pay two-thousand Life Points to call forth my Earthbound Immortal Cusillu _without_ needing to Tribute!"

[Devack: 1000 LP]

"No!" Luna shouted.

The carving of a disembodied heart appeared in the sky, the purple flames surrounding us intensifying, before out of the shadows, the form of a massive black monkey with shining yellow indents took shape on the field [ATK: 2800].

Luna dropped to her knees, looking up at the terrifying creature with fear. "No… we were so _close_ …!"

"We can still win this…!" I assured her.

"Really, you _can't_ …! I activate Wild Nature's Release!" Devack threw another card onto his Duel Disk. "By targeting my Earthbound Immortal Cusillu, it gains Attack Points equal to its Defense Points!" He smiled. Devack's Monster roared, its already gargantuan form becoming even larger, edging Luna and I further back towards the purple fire [Earthbound Immortal Cusillu: ATK: 5200]. "Now… it's time for you to _die_! Earthbound Immortal Cusillu, _attack_!"

There was nowhere we could run. Cusillu's new size prevented either of us from getting very far. My blood went cold as Cusillu's hand came for Luna and I. I stepped in front of Luna, arms outstretched as I called back to her. "Luna! Stay down!" I ordered, hoping Cusillu's large digits would be unable to grab her comparatively tiny frame if she stuck close to the ground.

"Very well… you can be first, non-Signer… the child can watch you change!" Devack laughed callously as Cusillu grabbed me, wrapping one of its hands around my body and squeezing me as I screamed out in pain.

[Tyler & Luna: 0 LP]

" _Tyler_!" Luna cried, and then suddenly, Devack's behemoth of a Monster let go of me, dropping me to the ground.

I landed with a thud as my cold, stiff body hit the fractured Earth, my eyes still, unblinking. My whole body felt sore, and I picked myself up off the ground, my breath returning to me as I began to breathe quite heavily, not in the sense that I was tired, more like… excited.

I looked down at myself, admiring the outfit I'd become clothed in – an outfit like the rest of the Dark Signers, and the Dark Mark that had found its place on my right arm, an etching of a purple spiral.

My breathing grew heavier until I found myself chuckling, turning to Luna, who screamed in horror at my new form. A demonic cackle gutturally forced itself from my body as I – a Dark Signer – faced off against Luna.

* * *

My back ached as I sat up, finding myself having been hunched over the desk in my hotel room, the new Deck that I'd spent the whole week working on in a mess in front of me.

I turned to look over at Tim, the redhead sleeping peacefully in his bed. I was amazed that even after the week we'd had, and with the first day of the Friendship Tag Cup starting tomorrow, Tim was able to get a good night's sleep.

I however wasn't, and not just because of my nightmare.

* * *

_Both mine and Tim's eyes were drawn to the door of our hotel room as someone knocked on it. I got off my bed and moved over to slowly open the door._

_My heart skipped a beat as I saw a KC Guard standing with some tablets in his hands on the other side. "This is all the documentation for the Friendship Tag Cup. The High Council has asked that you read through and accept the terms and conditions of your entry and fill out the entry form and Deck list. I'll be back in eight hours to collect the information on behalf of the Council." He explained, handing me two tablets._

_"Th-thank you very much," I bowed, as he did in return, moving presumably to the next room. I closed the door and walked back over to Tim, handing him one of the tablets. "Did you get that? We've got to fill out all the info on here, and they're going to collect it later."_

_"Hey, ain't no thing, but a chicken wing, mamacita! We got plenty o' time to do that!" Tim eased._

_"I know that eight hours seems like a lot of time, but the day will be over before we know it, and the tournament's next week. We should probably make sure that we know what's going on and that, you know, you've got all the rules down."_

_Tim waved me off. "I got it. I got it. One Normal Summon a turn. Don't Normal Summon in face-up Defense Position. Don't try and Normal Summon high-level Monsters without Tributing. Don't activate Trap Cards straight from your hand. Don't let your Life Points go to zero. Don't pass go. Don't collect two hundred dollars."_

_"Hah." I gave an unenthused laugh. "Funny." I said, even though it wasn't. I focused my attention then on the tablet, and all the documents it had on it. Most of it was stuff I already knew or assumed to be the case. The tournament, named the 'Friendship Tag Cup', was a Tournament that was originally created to ease the tension between the Commoners and Topsiders. This year it would be a Tag Duel Tournament, and the winning team would be given the right to challenge the current champion, Jack Atlas, to a Duel, and if they should win, a new champion would be crowned._

_I started to feel uneasy however as my eyes scanned the next line, stating that participants taken from The Facility would be made to return upon losing or retiring from the tournament._

_"Um… Tim…?" I said cautiously. "So… we play, we get the boat… we lose, we go back to The Facility… what happens to the boat?" I turned to Tim, the redhead sorting through his Deck and taking out and adding in different cards, presumably filling out his Deck list at the same time._

_"What? Since when was that the deal?" he asked, looking up and over at me._

_"Apparently from the beginning~" I said, my eyes wide, voice starting to shake._

_"Alright, alright, don't lose your cool…" Tim muttered. "Instead of playing to play, we play to win. If we win, we get the boat. If we lose, we don't. That's all. No biggie." He shrugged._

_"N-no biggie?!" I snapped. "Tim-"_

_"Tyler, there's no point stressin' about stuff you can't change, alright? There's plenty of real things to be stressed about, like getting a kidney stone or the water turnin' the frogs gay. Just sort your Deck out, and I'll sort mine out. We got this, don't worry."_

_"W-well, wh-what about Crow and-"_

_"No one cares about Crow!" Tim dismissed. "Look, just agree to the terms. I betcha no one's read 'em anyway. I didn't."_

_"Well, yeah, obviously! You didn't know we'd lose the boat if we lost-"_

_"We're not gonna lose-"_

_"How can you be sure-"_

_"Because I won't let us lose." Tim said firmly, looking me dead in the eyes. "You think I don't know how much this means to you? Do you really think I'd mess this up? You're not the only one with stuff on the line here! I don't wanna be here anymore than you do! I'd like to get home as well!"_

_"R-right… sorry…" I apologized, feeling like shit. I averted my eyes from Tim's and went back to reading the documents, even though I could feel him continue to stare at me. Everything else that I read seemed pretty straightforward, until I read another line that made my body jolt:_

_The Real Solid Vision system would not only be set to on, but also set to maximum. The cards would be real, and their powers potentially fatal._

_"What the Hell is this…?" I whimpered._

_"What?" Tim asked._

_"They're going to kill us… th-the Real Solid Vision is going to be on, and it's going to be fatal. The Monsters and Spells and Traps are going to be real and… lethal…!"_

_Slowly, a smile started to appear on Tim's face. "Now that's more like it!" he said, rocking his head forward, scooping his Deck up, shuffling it and slotting it into his Duel Disk._

* * *

I exhaled lengthily, tidying up the pile of cards on my desk before getting up and heading into the bathroom.

I closed the door, hoping to block out as much of the sound as I could so as not to wake Tim up, before turning the light on, running some water and splashing it over my face.

I studied my eyes in the mirror, irises brown, scleras white. If I had become a Dark Signer, my scleras would have turned black, and my irises would have barely been visible as a result. My face was still bruised where Joel had hit me, which in spite of having spoken to Tim about Joel a couple nights before, I had completely forgotten about. I hadn't even been able to feel it anymore, but it could still be seen on the surface, unlike the wounds he and Kobi had given me, which were buried far below the surface.

I sighed and turned away. I couldn't think like that, I told myself. Kobi and Joel were gone, from this Dimension at least, and the two of them back home were none of my concern.

I turned the faucet off, my eyes drifting from the mirror, and when they refocused again, I saw that Apple Magician Girl was standing (floating rather) behind me in her Spirit form. I gasped a little from the shock, scrunching my face.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," she cooed, "I just sensed you were up. Are you okay?"

"Yeah… just had a… just had a nightmare…"

"A nightmare?" Apple Magician Girl asked. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"It's just…" I sighed, "it's just someone from my past… do you ever have that sometimes? You barely think about something, someone, and then one day they just randomly pop into your thoughts?"

The Duel Spirit shook her head. "Not for a long time."

"Well it's just… I-I-I don't know if you heard me talking about them before, the other day – the Dark Signers and Yliaster – I don't know if they're even a _thing_ here, but… one of the Dark Signers, Luna and I we… we Dueled against him, a-and in real life we won, but… I had a dream… and in that dream, we lost and I… I changed…"

"What do you mean?"

"I became a Dark Signer, and Luna saw, and she was just so… _afraid_ … but I wasn't. Like, even in a dream, where your brain is constantly trying to tell you that what you're seeing and experiencing is real, you know, if it was real, I-I should have been horrified too… but I just started laughing… like I was glad… like I didn't care if it was real or not… like I was glad to be evil…"

Apple Magician Girl licked her lips, obviously trying to think of what to say. "While I'm not quite sure what you mean by Dark Signer, what was it that you think caused you to laugh?"

"I was already laughing, but… when Luna screamed, I just lost it. I mean… she hates me, doesn't she? Why would she not? And, you know, it doesn't matter that I rescued her from the Spirit World, helped her save Ancient Fairy Dragon, stopped her from falling into the Underworld, and did my best to protect her from Devack, Sly and Lester, _or_ that I was thrown into another fucking time stream and had my brain messed with by a God of Destruction. No, all that mattered to her was that I was wearing 'bad guy clothes'. I didn't even want to wear them, you know? I would have much preferred a Pink Floyd shirt, or, you know, the kind of stuff I've got on now." I sighed. "I mean, _God_ , I love her so much, but it's just, like… everything up until that point didn't matter to her anymore. How am I supposed to feel about that?"

"There's not a right or wrong way to feel about anything. In some ways, I'd like to get to know you better, so that I can understand how you're feeling, but in a lot of other ways, I know who you are, because I've been with… the other Tyler. I can see in your heart that you love this Luna girl very much, and I'm sure that even if she may not feel the same way now, at some point she must have, if you and her have been through so much together. Does… does she know that you're here now, trying to get home?"

"She thinks I'm dead…" I said softly, my eyes drifting from hers.

Apple Magician Girl moved closer to me, gasping. "Of course, you said that before, didn't you? In The Facility… that your friend brought you back to life… sweetheart…" the expression on her face was clearly a pained one, and she moved closer still as if to try and hug me, but her form just passed through my own. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry…" she whispered.

"I left things in such a terrible state, a-and I realized that, when I saw Jack here for the first time. He… we used to be friends, i-in my Dimension. He was the last person _from_ my Dimension that I actually spoke to. Everyone else… I just left letters for…"

My Duel Spirit's breathing was heavy, sounding almost distraught. "Go and get your Duel Disk, activate it, and Summon me… please…"

The poor girl was shivering, and while I had no idea why she wanted me to get my Duel Disk, I did as she asked, leaving the bathroom and quietly making my way over to my Duel Disk, slotting my old Deck in before heading back into the bathroom.

The moment I placed her card on my Duel Disk after activating it, she leapt forward and wrapped her arms around me. "Ah…! H-hey…" I flinched for a moment but eased up almost straight away.

Apple Magician Girl exhaled shakily, her breath warm, soothing. She moved her hands up to cup my face and leaned forward as I felt her lips gently press against my forehead. "You poor thing… to have everyone you care about think you're dead…" she muttered. I looked up at her, and she down at me. "Tyler," she breathed, "I _promise_ you…" she held me tighter, looking into my eyes, "I will do _whatever_ I can to _make sure_ you get home…"

"Thank you…" I continued to gaze deep into the Duel Spirit's eyes, and I found myself taken by her. Not in a lustful or sexual sort of way, but a reverse-maternal one. It was a weird sort of thing to try and describe, but, I just felt a connection with her that I hadn't felt in a long time. It was hard to feel that way with my _own_ _mother_ due to her obliviousness regarding Kobi and Joel, and the last time I'd spoken with her, she practically disowned me. And to be honest, I hadn't really felt it with Martha when I was living at her orphanage in the Satellite either, but that wasn't her fault. I'd pretty much closed myself off by then, and I imagined the same could have been said for my counterpart… which was probably why Apple Magician Girl was going so much out of her way to help _me_ now, because she couldn't help _him_ before. "Thanks, Ap-Apple…" I shook my head. "I-is there another name I can a-address you by… with…? At least when we're not… Dueling? It's just… calling you 'Apple Magician Girl' wh-when we're speaking like this… just sounds a little… weird…" I muttered. "Please don't… I-I-I-I don't mean to offend you-"

Apple Magician Girl's face broke a smile, the sadness in her eyes still present, but she seemed to find the fumbling of my words endearing, whereas I on the other hand found it incredibly annoying. "It's okay, Tyler, don't worry!" she assured me. "It's just…"

"What?"

"I… I've never even told the other Tyler…"

"O-oh… I'm sorry. If you don't want to tell me, you don't have to-"

"No, I… I do," the Duel Spirit paused, her mouth hanging open for a little while. "Fizdis…" she finally said.

"Fizdis?"

"That was my name… in another time…"

"It's a pretty name." I smiled.

"Thank you…" she smiled back.

I suddenly broke into a much wider smile. "What did I do to deserve someone like you? I mean, ever since we met, y-you've done nothing but look out for me, a-and then last week when I told you and the others that I was going to make a new Deck, you were just like 'okay, that's fine'. You didn't get angry or anything-"

"Tyler," she moved to touch my face once more, cupping my head in her hands, "the first time I saw you was when you were looking at… the other Tyler and the… state he was in," she mulled over her words like it was still difficult for her to talk about, "I didn't know who you were or why you came to us, but I remember how shocked you were to see him, and how you turned to your friend and asked if he could be brought back to life… and when he said he couldn't, you asked if he could be buried… I knew then that you were someone I could trust, and that I could give my strength and support to you… I just had to pick the right moment…"

I noticed she'd been referring to my counterpart as 'the other Tyler' and not 'her Tyler', which made me feel like she'd accepted me as hers. My body jolted as I realized that my quest, my desire to get home, back to my Dimension, was one that I hadn't really spoken to her about. And it was something I should have, because it involved her, it affected her.

"Hey, um… I should have asked you right from the beginning… do you… do you _want_ to come back to my Dimension with me? I-I mean, I just assumed that… that you _would_ come with me, but… this place is your home, so I'll understand if you and the other Spirits would rather stay here, you know, once we get the boat back and everything…"

"Of course, I'll come back with you…" she smiled. "I know your friend has already offered to help you with the rest of your friends, but I'd like to help you there as well, if you'd let me."

"Th-that would be absolutely…" I was almost at a loss for words, "thank you so much, Fizdis. I'd really appreciate it…"

"You're welcome, Tyler…" Apple Magician Girl beamed at me. "I promise that things will be okay…" she sighed, "anyway, I'd… better let you get back to sleep, hey? Big day tomorrow."

"Yeah, I probably should get as much rest as I can…" I breathed, "i-is it okay if I… take your card off my Duel Disk now?" I asked.

Apple Magician Girl nodded quickly. "Of course, it is…" she breathed in kind. I removed her card from my Duel Disk and her physical form faded away, her hands and the rest of her body phasing through mine. The warmth I'd felt from her body gave way to the cold pre-morning air and I slipped her card back into my Deck, turning my Duel Disk off.

I turned back to her, her Spirit form watching me. I pointed my thumb back at the bathroom door. "I'm going to-"

"Mhm…" Apple Magician Girl nodded, as though nothing more needed to be said. I opened the bathroom door, the two of us stepping out as I made my way over to my bed, clambering on in. "Good night, Tyler…" she cooed.

"G'night, Fizdis…" I mumbled, "And, hey, um…"

"What is it, sweetie?"

"I… just wanted to say… thanks for… looking after the other Tyler… all those years… I'm glad he had someone like you looking out for him…"

"Yeah…" she whispered, "me too…"

* * *

Vapor trails covered the sky, the sound of fireworks blasting overhead, eclipsing the cries and cheers of the audience in the Seto Kaiba Memorial Circuit, and drowning out my very thoughts.

A large hologram of a woman 'stood' in the center of the stadium, addressing the crowd, wearing a red and white cowgirl outfit and clearly very enthusiastic. "Here we are at the Friendship Tag Cup!" she announced, easily working the crowd into a frenzy. "Get in sync with your partner and reach for victory!"

I followed beside Tim, the two of us making our way out to the Duel Field. I was worked up as well, though not in the same way as the crowd, and Tim on the other hand was completely unfazed so far. "You can do this…" I had to whisper to myself.

"And _here's_ the first Duel! Tyler 'the Terror' Nochi and Tim Ihansha, versus Gongenzaka 'Strong' Noboru and Vokah Iaku!" The MC, Melissa Trail, called, her hologram pointing towards us.

My eyes widened and I turned to Tim. "Oh my _God_ …! You _didn't_ …!"

Tim grinned, showing his pearly whites. "That's your name." He smiled.

"S-s-so when you said you wanted to look at my form before…" I sighed, shaking my head. "You couldn't help yourself…"

Across from Tim and I stood two very well-built Duelists. The first was a young man, who, despite the roundness of his face showing youth, was quite tall and intimidating. Well he _would_ have been if it wasn't for the unsettling combination of his hair styled in a pompadour, white jacket and wooden sandals. I recognized him as one of the boys who'd escaped The Facility with Yuya, although we hadn't really had any interaction with each other beyond that.

The second had a rather large nose, with thick eyebrows and a piercing stare, a little bit of stubble on his face, his hair styled into a ponytail. He was obviously older than his teammate, and much more serious too, or at least dressing seriously. He wore a winter zip vest around a tight long sleeve shirt and camouflage pants with steel-toed boots. His Duel Disk looked to be similar to the ones I'd already seen from this Dimension, though for some reason his had a Tokyo Girls' Style keychain hanging off the side.

"Pleased to meet you." The tall, Elvis-looking one said. "I'm Gongenzaka, but you can call me Gong. Let's have a good Duel." He smiled, activating his Duel Disk.

"My country was ravaged by the wars. Everything I had was destroyed. I started over with nothing, climbed my way to the top. And now I'm here – the Tag Cup of Friendship." The shorter one said, his voice drenched in a heavy European accent. One that, much like Sherry's (before she told me what it was), I couldn't identify. Vokah activated his Duel Disk with a sense of vigor. "Let me show you how we Duel in my country."

Tim chuckled, activating his Duel Disk. "You're funny."

I turned to Tim. "Tim, remember, we need to win. If we don't-"

"I know, I know." He cut me off. "You don't need to tell me. I got this. Chill, a'ight?"

I was sure we _could_ win. I'd made sure that Tim was full-bottle on the rules for Tag Dueling, explaining differences in Life Points, turn order and card control. But a tournament like this was unlike anything either of us had done before, and there was absolutely no room for mistakes.

"Alright…" I sighed, being the last to activate my Duel Disk.

"Let the first Duel of the first round _begin_!" Melissa cheered once again, hyping the crowd.

" _Duel_!"

[Tim & Tyler: 8000 LP]  
[Gong & Vokah: 8000 LP]

"I'll start! Appear! Superheavy Samurai Trumpeter!" Gong shouted, a short stubby machine taking up a place on his field [DEF: 600]. "I am able to Special Summon him if I have no Spell or Trap Cards in my Graveyard. Next, I Set one Monster in Defense Position." Another card appeared on Gong's field. "This concludes my turn."

"Damn. This guy's all serious. But he doesn't look it. Anyway, I guess it's my turn…" Tim muttered, drawing a card and then looking over his hand. "What to do… what to do…" he mulled.

"Tim, remember that the tournament rules state that players should take three m-m-minutes at most for a turn. D-d-don't waste time." I warned him.

"I'm just lookin'…" Tim continued to mull over his hand for a little bit. "Okay, I think I got it. I play the Spell Card Pot of Greed. This allows me to draw two cards from my Deck." The Pot of Greed appeared on Tim's field, before exploding, showering Tim in gold light as he drew two more cards. The audience started to boo, but Tim seemed to pay them no mind and continued with his turn. "Next, I activate the Spell Card Graceful Charity. This card allows me to draw three cards from my Deck, and then discard two from my hand to the Graveyard." Tim turned to me. "Right?"

I nodded. "Yeah, that's right."

A beautiful angel appeared on Tim's field, showering him with multicolored light as Tim drew three cards, and then tossed two cards – another Graceful Charity and a Backup Soldier – into the Graveyard. "Next, I Normal Summon Witch of the Black Forest in Attack Position." A violet-haired three-eyed witch appeared on Tim's field, mumbling incantations to herself [ATK: 1100]. "Alright, next is the Battle Phase, right?" Tim once again asked me. I nodded. "Okay, I attack your Superheavy sandwich press thing with my Witch of the Black Forest!" The witch's third eye widened, a pulse of energy ripping through and destroying Gong's Monster. "Then, I go to my Main Phase 2, Set three cards face-down and end my turn."

I nodded once more as Tim's Set cards appeared on the field, impressed with how clear and concise he was with his turn, the naming of Gong's Monster aside.

Vokah twitched, drawing a card from his Deck. "Let me show you how we Duel in my country. Proceeding with activation, Spell Card Six Samurai United! Now, ready your position, Shien's Footsoldier!" a monkey wearing a kasa and feverishly gripping a pike appeared on Vokah's field [ATK: 700]. I was briefly reminded of Zeman's monkey troop from my visit to the Spirit World, where I rescued Luna. I found myself mouthing Luna's name to myself as Vokah then Flip Summoned Gong's Set Monster, Superheavy Samurai Flutist [ATK: 500]. "Now, prepare for battle, soldiers. Entering Battle Phase, I attack with Shien's Footsoldier!"

Vokah's monkey tried to run Tim's witch through with his spear, but the footsoldier found itself frozen from the witch's power, and the monkey was vaporized.

[Gong & Vokah: 7600 LP]

"Wow, you're an idiot." Tim chided. "I _literally_ just started playing this game, and even _I_ know that the card with the highest number wins the battle, you bloody moron."

Vokah smirked, "That is true, my _narančasta_ , but Shien Footsoldier's effect activates, letting me call forth his superior in combat, Hand of the Six Samurai!" a hooded dagger-wielding woman took the place of the footsoldier on Vokah's field [ATK: 1600]. "Now, I add a Bushido Counter to my Spell Card," [Six Samurai United: Bushido Counter: 1], "and continue my attack with Hand of the Six Samurai. Try to stop _this_!"

Vokah's new Monster dashed forward faster than my eyes could see, and before I knew it, Witch of the Black Forest had been easily dispatched.

[Tim & Tyler: 7500 LP]

" _Hoćeš još_?" Vokah asked.

I turned to Tim. "Tim, remember Witch of the Black Forest's effect."

"Oh _yeah_! I get to add a Monster that has less than fifteen-hundred Defense Points from my Deck to my hand." Tim quickly went through his Deck, pulling out a card and then showing the card to myself, our opponents, and the audience: Exodia the Forbidden One.

"Oh, my _goodness_! Tim is attempting to Summon the legendary Exodia!" Melissa shouted.

Vokah's eyes widened. "Exodia… _Nemoguće_ …" Vokah's eyes then narrowed. "Alright! _Sada ćete ga dobiti_! Comrade, Superheavy Samurai Flutist, attack directly!"

I twitched as Tim was struck by Superheavy Samurai Flutist's attack, Tim himself completely unmoved.

[Tim & Tyler: 7000 LP]

"Not bad…" Tim muttered.

"I finish my turn with two face-downs. _Tvoj red sada_." Vokah threw two more cards onto the field.

I swallowed audibly, looking down at the cards in my hand as I drew. I had nothing in my hand that could take down Hand of the Six Samurai, but I could protect myself from her, at the very least. "I'll Set two cards face-down." I said, Setting Magic Cylinder and Trap Jammer, "and then… I Set a Monster in Defense Position." I placed Royal Magical Library [DEF: 2000] face-down too. "Th-that's it from me."

"Then it's my turn! Draw!" Gong shouted, drawing a card. "Take the field! I Normal Summon Superheavy Samurai Scales!" Another robotic-looking samurai appeared on Gong's field, this one looking much sturdier than his flutist [ATK: 800]. "Next, I activate the effect of Superheavy Samurai Scales: If he is Normal or Special Summoned, I'm able to Special Summon a Superheavy Samurai from my Graveyard! Return to the field, Superheavy Samurai Trumpeter!" Gong's Monster reappeared on the field in pristine condition [ATK: 300]. "Next, I Special Summon another Superheavy Samurai Trumpeter to my field in Defense Position!" [DEF: 600]. "And now, I tune my Defense Position Trumpeter with my Scales! Rise your war cry, divine ogre! Show yourself. On this battlefield of segregation! Synchro Summon! Now depart for the front! Level six! Superheavy Samurai Ogre Shutendoji!"

My eyes widened as a massive behemoth of red and yellow, its left hand clutching a spiked club in its massive fingers, appeared on the field [DEF: 2500].

"Al _ri~ight_!" Tim cracked his neck and brought his hands to his sides. "Here we _go_! Now it's gettin' interesting!"

"Nice work, comrade," Vokah smiled.

Gong smiled back, before turning to face Tim and me. "I activate my Shutendoji's effect! Since there are no Spell or Trap Cards in either mine or my partner's Graveyards, I can destroy all Spell and Trap Cards you control."

"Shit!" I shouted.

"I think we might need to censor that." I heard Melissa say, Gong's Monster bashing its club on the ground, the shockwaves from the hit wiping away Tim's face-down cards along with my own.

"No, no, no!"

"Chill out, dude, we're all good. We've got a Monster sittin' pretty in Defense Position." Tim seemed not at all phased by the fact that we had no backrow.

"Next, from my hand, I equip Superheavy Samurai Soulshield Wall to Shutendoji, raising its Defense Points." A green shield with serrated edges appeared on the field, attaching itself to the right arm of Gong's Monster [DEF: 3700]. "Now, I enter my Battle Phase and activate Shutendoji's final effect, allowing him to attack while in Defense Position, applying his Defense Points during damage calculation!"

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my _God_! We are _so_ screwed!" I yelled.

"The battle formation is ready! Attack, Superheavy Samurai Ogre Shutendoji!" Gong shouted. My Royal Magical Library was defeated in an instant, crushed under the weight of Shutendoji's club. "Now, fight, Flutist!"

Now it was my turn to take the brunt of a direct attack. I braced myself, tensing every muscle in my body I could, using my Duel Disk as a shield. While I didn't end up taking as much physical damage as I could have, the force of the attack was still enough to knock me to the ground.

[Tim & Tyler: 6500 LP]

Gong threw his hand out the moment I'd gotten to my feet. "Go, Hand of the Six Samurai! Attack directly!" he shouted. I took an uneasy step back as Vokah's Monster withdrew her dagger from its case and threw it right towards my head. I flinched, Tim reaching out and catching the dagger between two of his fingers as though he didn't even have to think.

[Tim & Tyler: 4900 LP]

Tim looked at the dagger for a moment before throwing it back to Hand of the Six Samurai, who caught it in its case. Just watching everything transpire made me feel so out of my depth.

"I activate Superheavy Samurai Flutist's effect! I Tribute him to Special Summon Superheavy Samurai Blue Brawler!" Another massive tank of a Monster, this one reminding me of Yusei's Junk Warrior, appeared on Gong's field [DEF: 2000]. "Your turn."

I was just so overwhelmed. I couldn't take it. "Oh my God, oh my God-"

" _I'm_ your God, Tyler! And _I'm_ telling you to _shut up_!" Tim cut me off, and I of course stopped talking right away. I was amazed, to be honest. I was freaking the fuck out, but the only thing Tim was irritated by was me. I watched him draw a card from his Deck. "I play Monster Reincarnation, discarding another Monster Reincarnation to add Royal Magical Library from Tyler's Graveyard to my hand. Then, I Set a Monster and end my turn."

" _No_! Do something else!" I pleaded, absolutely desperate.

"It looks like Tyler the Terror is the only one feeling the terror!" Melissa remarked.

"That's not funny!" I snapped.

" _I_ thought it was funny." Tim said, giving Melissa a thumbs up, the MC blushing.

Vokah smirked, drawing a card from his Deck. "Are you ready? It's time I end this skirmish. Proceeding with activation, Equip Spell Legendary Ebon Steed! This increases my Hand of the Six Samurai's Attack Points by two hundred." I watched as Hand of the Six Samurai jumped up as a black horse appeared underneath her as she landed, sitting astride it with fierce determination [ATK: 1800]. "Prepare for battle, comrade, Shutendoji! Attack!" Once again, the Set Royal Magical Library fell to Shutendoji's massive club. "Hand of the Six Samurai, _uništiti_!"

Hand of the Six Samurai rode towards Tim atop her steed. Tim smiled. "Bring it on!" he shouted, taking the Monster's blow like it was nothing.

[Tim & Tyler: 3100 LP]

"Turn end." Vokah bowed to us.

"Damn it…" I muttered, drawing. "I need something here…" I whispered. I drew Defender, the Magical Knight, but wasn't sure how useful he would be if he only ended up being destroyed by Shutendoji. "I activate Monster Reincarnation! I discard Defender, the Magical Knight to the Graveyard to add Tim's Witch of the Black Forest to my hand." I said, doing exactly that. "Finally, I Set a Monster in Defense Position and place one card face-down. That's all."

I honestly felt sick. I knew what the ramifications would be if we lost, but it seemed as though I'd completely underestimated the kind of skill that these tournament players had, and more importantly, _over_ estimated the kind of skill that _I_ had. I knew I wasn't the _best_ Duelist, but I helped defeat the Dark Signers, for fuck's sake! That _had_ to count for _something_! I clenched my hands into fists. I couldn't give up. I couldn't lose.

"If the shoe was on the other foot, and you gave me mercy, I'd take that as an insult, so I hope you don't mind if I, Gong, attack with all my power!" Gong shouted. "My turn! Draw!" Gong drew and I cringed. "Appear! Superheavy Samurai Swordsman!" _Another_ massive Monster appeared on Gong's field [ATK: 1000]. "Now, let's battle! Shutendoji, attack!"

Tim's witch was reduced to a bloody pulp under the weight of Shutendoji's club.

"I activate Witch of the Black Forest's effect, adding Apprentice Magician from my Deck to my hand." I said, revealing the card to Tim and our opponents. My line of thinking was that if I was lucky enough to get this down on the field, it'd buy us a couple more turns, and I'd hopefully be able to find something to get rid of Shutendoji.

"Alright, Hand of the Six Samurai, direct attack!" Gong shouted. Once again, Vokah's Monster charged forward, this time towards me. I flinched, cowering like a fool as I closed my eyes.

I felt myself get pushed to the ground as I heard Tim grunt.

[Tim & Tyler: 1300 LP]

"Pathetic…" Tim muttered.

I opened my eyes to find that Tim had taken the attack for me. "Tim…" I whimpered.

"Attack, Superheavy Samurai Swordsman!" Gong shouted. Tim once again intercepted Gong's Monster's attack, protecting me from any physical harm.

[Tim & Tyler: 300 LP]

Tim turned to me with steely-eyed conviction. "The Hell's the matter with you?" he asked. "Get up." He told me. I shakily got to my feet, my entire body swaying from side to side with each heavy breath I took. "You want to win, don't you?" he asked me softly.

"Of course." I replied.

"Then why have you given up? We still have Life Points left." Tim pointed out.

"We… w-we can't-"

"Rule number one of battle: there's _always_ a way to win." Tim assured me. "Do you trust me?"

"T-T-Tim…!" I groaned.

"Do you _trust me_?" Tim repeated, staring into my eyes.

I willed myself to stop shaking. "Yes… yes, I do."

"I end my turn." Gong announced.

Tim nodded, drawing a card from his Deck. Looking at it for a few moments, Tim observed the Monsters staring us down before sighing. "I pass my turn."

I could have sworn that my heart stopped as Tim said those words.

Vokah brought a hand up and clenched it into a fist. "This Deck was constructed with superior Slavic engineering, and I will show the people of Neo Domino City that my country is not to be underestimated. And I shall do this by winning this here Tag Cup of Friendship. You put up a struggle, Nochi, _narančasta_ , but it's time I end your suffering-"

"Look at your hand…" Tim smiled. Vokah looked down, his expression dropping at the sight of the cards in his hand.

It was then that I realized that the cards I'd been facing had vanished from the field. Gong's Shutendoji, Blue Brawler and Swordsman, along with Vokah's Hand of the Six Samurai were nowhere to be seen.

"Huh? Wh-what the…?" I mumbled.

" _Pickar ti maternal_! What is _this_?!" Vokah shouted.

"N-no way… it's Trap Hole…" Gong muttered.

"Trap Hole?" I asked.

Tim started chuckling to himself as I looked on at our opponent's field. All five Spell and Trap Card Zones had been filled, but every single card was face-down. I watched Vokah start to breathe just a little bit quicker, removing his Deck from his Duel Disk. An alarm sounded, seeming to come from the speaker on Vokah's Duel Disk.

" _No_! _It's all Trap Hole_!" Vokah shouted, sounding legitimately horrified as he dropped his Deck, a shower of purple cards dropping onto the arena floor. I gasped as I saw that each card that had landed face-up was indeed a copy of Trap Hole.

I turned back to Tim, who was now laughing heartily at the fact that our opponents' field, and by the sound of things their Decks as well, had somehow completely changed.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I… don't know how to explain this, but it seems as though the cards on Gongenzaka's and Vokah's fields have completely changed." Melissa seemed to be at a loss for words as she addressed the crowd. "We're not sure exactly how, but… there doesn't seem to be an error with the Duel System or the Duelists' Duel Disks, so we have to permit this as a technically legal move." Melissa swallowed. "Vokah, however, has removed his Deck from his Duel Disk of his own volition, and his Duel Disk has activated the cheat prevention alarm. Vokah will be disqualified from the Duel and the team will be penalized."

[Gong & Vokah: 5600 LP]

" _Jebim ti mater_!" Vokah shouted.

The audience seemed to be at odds, a low uneasy murmur making its way through the crowd as Melissa continued. "If Gongenzaka wishes to continue the Duel-"

"No…" Gong admitted sadly. "I, Gong, cannot win with no teammate and only Trap Hole. I surrender."

[Gong & Vokah: 0 LP]

"W-well then…" Melissa once again sounded unsure of what to say. "By default, the winners are Tim Ihansha and Tyler Nochi!" She cheered, most of the crowd cheering only out of obligation, the majority likely being just as confused as I was by what had transpired.

Tim turned to me. "Told you we'd win. You just needed a little faith."

"What the Hell did you do?" I asked softly.

Tim smiled at me, tapping his nose with his free hand and saying nothing. The sound of footsteps caused me to turn forward towards Gong who was standing across from us, Vokah feverishly picking up his cards. "Congratulations," Gong said, "I don't know how you did it, but… I'm not going to complain. If the Duel System didn't encounter any errors, then… just… congratulations." Gong spoke calmly.

Tim smiled again. "Check your Deck." He said simply, Gong doing as he was asked, a smile crossing his face.

"My cards…"

"Back to normal." Tim smiled.

"Tim and Tyler will be advancing to the second round, which will begin tomorrow. For now, we'll move on to the next Duel of the first round. Would Thomas 'Dinosaur' Hakozaki and Slade Burodi like to come forward? _They'll_ be Dueling Adam Gureka and Shanon Horitsu!" Melissa's cheerful voice once again swept across the stadium, my eyes on Vokah and his cards that had returned to their original states.

Once Vokah had collected his cards, Tim and I made our leave from the field, Gong and Vokah leaving from the opposite end of the arena.

"You still haven't told me exactly what it is you _did_ back there." I said to Tim.

"You put in a lot of effort. I didn't want to see you waste it." Tim said, turning to me. "We could have won even without it. In another timeline, I would have assembled Exodia on my first turn and we would have won anyway. It's just a shame that in this one, I wasn't so fortunate, and I had to use my God Power so we could win. I mean, the only reason I held back was to see how strong they were-"

"God Power?" I asked.

"Don't think about it." Tim instantly dismissed his own statement. "Just know that I _won't_ be doing that again."

* * *

Tim's insistence that I didn't think about our Duel with Gong and Vokah was completely insane. It was _all_ I could think about. One moment we were on the verge of losing, and the next, Tim magically swapped the cards our opponents were using with multiple copies of Trap Hole. What concerned me the most about the whole thing was that, aside from the crowd and Melissa's reaction, no one seemed to have a problem with it. I thought we would have been stopped or questioned by KC Guards or the High Council after leaving the arena, but we weren't. We were allowed to return to our room unimpeded. It was like they _wanted_ us to win.

I sighed, sitting up on my bed and looking over at Tim, who just stared out the window of the hotel room. "So… you called yourself a God before…"

"Yep…"

"Care to explain what you meant?"

Tim drew his eyes away from the window. "What do _you_ define as a God? Someone with powers beyond mortal comprehension? Someone who has control over death? Someone who, really, can do whatever they want, without worrying about things that 'matter' to 'other people'?"

"Well then… what kind of God are you? What's your title?"

"Title?" Tim asked.

"Yeah. Are you a God of Destruction? Creation? Preservation?"

"As I said, I can do whatever I want. And that – the Ultimate Freedom – is what makes me a God." Tim dismissed. "Anything more specific than that is just an unnecessary label, really."

"Right…" I turned away, as my thoughts drifted to that of the Duel. Looking down at the new Deck I'd made, I couldn't believe how close I came to losing.

No. In my eyes, I _did_ lose. The only reason we won was because Tim used some voodoo black magic bullshit. I might have gotten a bad draw, and _Tim_ might have gotten a bad draw, but in our circumstance, we shouldn't have let that happen. We should have prepared for all contingencies and fine-tuned our Decks to make sure that we'd never have any dead draws.

It was my fault. In terms of Dueling experience, Tim was a novice, while I'd been playing since I was a kid, and at least had some decent experience under my belt from Dueling opponents like Devack, Roman, Rex, and Lester. I should have guided Tim better, I should have been stronger. But instead, I cowered, and Tim had to end up protecting me.

"We're never going to get home…" I muttered.

"Sure we will." Tim assured me.

I shook my head. "No… no we won't. Not together anyway. On your own, you might have a chance, but I'm just dragging you down." I placed my Deck down beside me and clenched my fists, tears welling up in my eyes. "I'm never going to get home, and I'm never going to see Luna or Yusei or anyone else again…"

"Are you _crying_?" Tim asked. "Why are you crying?"

"Because I can't _do_ this, Tim, okay?!" I snapped, feeling tears run down my face. "There was, like, a _little_ part of me that thought I could do this, but it's obvious that I'm _way_ out of my depth here. We only won because of… whatever the Hell it is you even did. Without you, I would have lost."

"You get rattled pretty easily." Tim stated like it wasn't obvious. "Listen, I might have only just started playing Drooling Monsters, but if it's anything like Snap, Poker, or Uno – which, by the way, I'd kick your ass at Uno – it's not just about the cards you have. There's a certain amount of luck in it too. Yeah, we might have been a little unlucky with our draws, but that's _literally_ just the luck of the draw."

"Yes, but we shouldn't be put in the position where we need to draw the right cards to make a decent play. I should have adjusted my Deck better so that no matter _what_ I drew, I'd be able to make a decent play. But our Deck lists are locked in now, and it's too late to change anything."

"Dude, did you _see_ that Nintendoji thing? How it destroyed all our Spell and Trap Cards? That's pretty damn overpowered."

"Says the guy who stacked his Deck with multiple copies of Pot of Greed and Graceful Charity." I pointed out.

"Yeah, is _that_ why the audience was booing?"

"I'm not too sure about here, but where I'm from, the general consensus is that cards like those are broken, and it's considered good form to not use them in a Duel."

"That's stupid." Tim told me. "If we want to win, we have to use whatever cards we can to do so. You _do_ want to get home, don't you?" Tim asked the familiar question, turning to me.

I nodded, wiping away my tears.

A thought popped into my head. Grabbing the remote from the table, I turned on the television which was automatically tuned to the station broadcasting the Friendship Tag Cup Duels.

"What's up?" Tim asked.

"We should see what Decks our opponents are using." I told him. If we couldn't make any more adjustments to our Decks, then the least I could do was check out what Decks our opponents used so we'd have some idea of what we'd be going up against in the next round. After all, we went in blind against Gong and Vokah and we weren't prepared, but like this, we were able to see what cards they had in their Decks, how they played, and hopefully, that would help us if we had to face either team the following day. The screen showed an aerial shot of the Duel Field where all four participants could be seen.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." Tim agreed.

My eyes widened as the camera panned to one of the competitors.  
 **  
**"It's him…" I found myself saying.

Slade Burodi.

_I want you to get on your knees and beg me not to kill you._

I _knew_ the name sounded familiar. He was one of the guys going for their Duel Runner Licenses the same time as Akiza. Only _this_ version of Slade was different. Instead of having brown hair with red extensions, this one had blond hair with blue extensions. His face was a little different too. _This_ Slade had a cleft lip and deep blue eyes instead of a dark gray.

Even so, Slade's altered appearance failed to rid the growing sickening feeling in my stomach. Slade _did_ attempt to kill Akiza, after all, _and_ he threatened to kill me. As far as I was concerned, he wasn't punished as harshly as he should have been. A broken arm was nothing. Akiza could have been paralyzed or killed from what he and his friends tried to do.

"He a friend of yours?" Tim asked.

"No."

" _Oh_." Tim seemed to sense the venom dripping from my voice. "Well him and whoever his partner is seem to be dominating those other two."

"That's Thomas Hakozaki." I said, as a close-up of said Duelist popped up on the screen. "I don't know the guy personally, but in my Dimension, he's a pro. Apparently, he trained under Rex Raptor, who was one of the Legendary Duelists before my time. I don't know if that's the case here but judging from the fact he's using Dinosaur cards and has the nickname 'Dinosaur', I'm sure it's safe to assume it's a similar thing here."

"You think they could be trouble?"

I nodded. "Trouble for _me_ at least."

"Don't sweat the small stuff." Tim grinned, patting me on the back.

Whatever Monster it was that Thomas had on his field ripped through Gureka's Sentry Soldier of Stone. I looked to the side of the screen where a sidebar showed information on the Monster, a Dinosaur-Type called Ultimate Conductor Tyranno. That was all the information I could get before the screen switched to show Gureka's and Horitsu's Life Points fall to zero.

"Damn… I wish I got a better look at that…" I muttered, turning to Tim. "At least we know Thomas does in fact use Dinosaur cards."

"And it looks like we'll be facing them in the next round tomorrow."

"I don't know what cards Slade uses."

"Well it doesn't matter if you know or don't know. We'll still win either way." Tim said. I turned back to him and saw that he somehow had a cowboy hat much like Melissa's on his head, the rim covering his face.

"How the Hell do you _do_ that?" I asked. Tim sighed, once again tapping his nose with a finger before nodding off.

* * *

"I enter my Battle Phase! Bloom Diva the Melodious Choir, attack Zoodiac Drident! _Reflect Shout_!"

My eyes were glued to the television as the blue-haired Fairy blew out a fierce whirlwind, obliterating the dragonic Beast-Warrior.

"And it. Is. _Over_! The winners are Yuya Sakaki, and, securing the victory, _Zuzu Boyle_!" Melissa shouted with overt enthusiasm.

"Damn, she's good…" I whispered, briefly glancing down to write some more notes on scrap paper.

"Al~ _right_! Let's keep this up and move on to the next Duel!" Melissa hyped. "Introducing 'Hero' Chojiro Tokumatsu and Armstrong Takasu!"

I looked back up at the TV to see two men walking out to the Duel Field. One a tan heavy-set fellow wearing a black Sector Security uniform, and the other a tall and thin fair-skinned man in an olive-green robe. I recognized the latter as being one of Yuya's fellow Facility escapees.

"And now, introducing their opponents!" Melissa continued, but I didn't have to hear their names being called. I knew who they were as soon as the camera cut to them.

I wasn't even sure if what I was seeing was real, or how I was even still alive, as I thought my heart would have stopped beating completely at the sight of them.

Leo and Luna.

I knew it was them right away. The way they were dressed, the way they looked. This version of Leo looked much the same as the one from my Dimension. Same clothing, same hairstyle, the only difference between him and the Leo I knew was a look of malice or sadism on the face of this one. Something I would have never seen or expected to see on the face of a twelve-year old.

Luna on the other hand, expression-wise, actually looked quite similar to the one from my Dimension, at least when I last saw her. A look of painful disinterest on her face, not unlike the look that my Luna gave me on the Ark Cradle all that time ago. She had the hood of her jacket pulled over the top of her head, her light green hair not in pigtails, instead completely down from what I could see.

I started to hyperventilate, my body trembling like the pathetic shit it – _I_ – was. That beautiful infectious smile that my Luna used to have was something I myself had stripped from her. I was the one that gave her that glazed look, that expression of hatred, that cold exterior. I might not have been the one to push her to it in this Dimension, but in mine, I was. It was my fault. And I never said sorry, except in that stupid fucking letter, and by then of course, the damage had already been done. I'd been going through my dreams as though they actually _meant_ something, but the only thing that they did mean, that they showed, was how much of a pathetic piece of shit I was.

I couldn't watch anymore, and I turned the TV off with the remote, dropping it onto the carpet as I sighed. I looked over at Tim, asleep in the chair. I probably could have blasted black metal right in his face and he'd still have been able to sleep through it.

I walked over to the bedside table, picked up the phone in my room and dialed. With each second that passed, my nerves became shakier and shakier.

"Tyler…" Apple Magician Girl's pained voice came from behind me, and I glanced back to see the Duel Spirit seated on my bed.

"Not now, Fizdis." I dismissed. It was obvious that she'd sensed my distress and was attempting to appeal to me, but I just couldn't deal with her. I kept my ear pressed to the phone, and eventually, a young woman's voice came through the other end of the line.

"Good evening, Room Service, Stephanie speaking. How can I help you?"

"Yes, hi, this is… um…" I tried to say my name, Tyler, simple, but I couldn't get the damn word out, the line going silent.

"Hello?" the woman asked.

"Y-yes, I'm still here, sorry, I-I-I-I've got a speech impediment."

"That's okay, sir, take your time."

"…I-it's Tyler Nochi here, um… room two-seventeen… I-I-I was wondering if I could get a b-b-b-bottle of champagne brought up to the r-room, if that's okay."

"Okay, room two-seventeen…" the woman muttered, and I could hear her typing away on her keyboard. "Okay, no problem, Mr. Nochi. Someone will bring that up to you momentarily."

"Thank you." I said, and I hung up the phone.


	10. The Killing Moon

At the dawn of the Friendship Tag Cup's second day, eight of the sixteen teams had been eliminated.

I'd been out for the whole night in the cold. I had a lot on my mind and just needed some space, away from Tim, away from Fizdis, away from the whole Friendship Tag Cup thing.

I'd made sure not to stray too far from the hotel, but I knew that even if I had, I would have been perfectly safe, thanks to all the KC Guards walking around the place.

I thought about my opponents from the last round, Gong and Vokah. Gong had been an escapee of The Facility and, due to the terms and conditions of the tournament, had been more than likely sent back there after losing to Tim and me. Vokah I had no idea about, no idea who he was or where he came from, or where he'd gone or would go now that he'd been eliminated.

I made my way back inside the hotel with a sigh, my right eye feeling heavier than my left and twitching almost constantly. I cupped my right hand over it and went to say 'Good morning' to the receptionist as I walked in, but I could already feel the stutter there in my chest so I opted to not say anything, instead moving past them and over to the elevator where a porter, a young girl named Hazel, waited to help guests.

"Good morning, Mr. Nochi." The nine-year-old greeted me with a smile.

I twinged, knowing I'd at least have to say something. "M…morn…" I struggled, cupping my right hand over my mouth to hide my trembling lips "ing…" I was just so tired, and my body was obviously strained which made it even more difficult for me to speak fluently.

"Going up to your room?" she asked, pressing a button on the elevator to open the doors.

"Y… ye…" I crumbled inside bit by bit. I couldn't even get one simple fucking word out!

I nodded.

The doors to the elevator opened and I dragged my feet in, Hazel following as the doors closed.

The High Council obviously didn't trust me or the others enough to be left to our own devices, which was probably why all of the KC Guard were patrolling outside and every Friendship Tag Cup participant inside pretty much had a porter on their tail.

I sighed, looking up at the shaft's ceiling as we started to move. One word. I couldn't even say one fucking word.

I wondered if it would be forever, my stutter. I hoped not, but I had no way of knowing. Tim had made it seem as though it was something that I would just lose at some point, but that wasn't looking to be the case. How the Hell would I be able to face my friends and tell them how sorry I was if I couldn't even say one simple word?

The doors opened and I sighed once more, dragging my feet out, Hazel walking with me over to my room. "Is there anything else I can do for you, Mr. Nochi?" she asked as we arrived at my door.

I tensed my body as I tried to push myself through another block. "N-n… no th-thanks…" I sighed, feeling the need to apologize. "S-s-sorry, I have a st-stutter…"

"I can tell. Your face goes weird when you talk." She told me.

"Mm…" I sounded grimly. I honestly didn't know what to say, but it was good to know she thought I was a freak.

Nevertheless, Hazel opened the door for me and moved aside, allowing me to enter.

I didn't. Not with what I saw going on in my room.

Tim was completely naked, on his hands and knees, his entire body covered in charcoal. Melissa Trail was riding atop Tim, the MC also completely naked, except for her hat, and whipping Tim's backside with a riding crop.

"Is something wrong, Mr. Nochi?" Hazel asked, obstructed by the door and thankfully unable to see what was going on inside my room.

"You're my little pony, aren't you~?!" Melissa moaned.

" _Woof_! _Woof_!" Tim barked.

"What the fuck?!" I snapped.

" _Quack_!" Tim croaked. Melissa turned to me and gasped, quickly getting off of Tim, using her hat to cover her privates and covering her chest with her free hand as she dashed around the room to collect her (I assumed) previously discarded clothes. Tim got to his feet, brushed himself down and quickly but casually asked "Hey, what's goin' on, buddy?"

I probably shouldn't have even said anything. I should have just closed the door and not done anything. "I-I-I-I don't even know… I don't even… know what the f-f-f-fuck to say…"

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue? Or rather _horse_ got your tongue?" Tim winked.

"Wh-what the fuck are you d-d-d-d-doing? Why are you _black_?" I asked, taking care to not so much as look in Melissa's general direction. That being said, at that moment I didn't even want to be in the same _room_ as Tim. Seriously, I left him for _one_ night and he became a racist!

"What? Have you got a problem with me being black?"

"You're _not_ black!" I retorted, my strained voice becoming even more so.

"Well _sorry_ if I don't see race!" Tim said, gesturing with his head as he spoke.

I brought my hands up, holding them at both sides of my head. "You know what? I'm just going to go." I said, turning and heading back out the door of my room.

"Is everything okay in there, Mr. Nochi?" Hazel asked, the young porter unfortunately having remained outside.

"You d-d-don't kn-know wh-what…" I stammered, eyes wide and virtually gawking at my own ineptitude, "they're d-doing in there, d-d-d-do you?"

Hazel looked at me quizzically, and I'd hoped that meant she didn't, but she mightn't have even understood my question thanks to how disjointed and broken my speech was.

Hazel went to move past me as though to take a peek into the room, but I gently eased her away from the door even though it was closed. "N-no… don't l…ook…" I mumbled semi-coherently.

"Why? What's-"

"N…othing…" I forced out, staying by the door.

I just couldn't figure Tim out. One moment he was calling himself a God and prattling on about freedom and magical powers, the next he was doing God knows what with Melissa, with the door unlocked so anybody could walk in.

"What's it like?" Hazel suddenly asked.

I turned to her. "S-sorry?"

"Your stutter. What's it like?"

I took an uneasy step back, unsure of what to say. Even though the girl was young, and I assumed it to be an innocent question on her part, I didn't want her judging me. Not that I should have even cared about what a child thought. Still, I figured it best that I give her a simple yet legitimate answer. "It's like…" and I could feel it in my chest as I pondered, "My words are trapped."

Hazel continued to look up at me. "Does it hurt to talk? My uncle had a stroke a few years ago, and sometimes it hurts when he talks."

Some of the tension in my chest gave way, the expression on my face and opinion of the young girl softening. "I-I'm sorry to hear that… but n-no, i-it doesn't hurt. Well, it probably does for the people listening to me."

The door to my room quickly opened and Melissa rushed out, thankfully fully clothed.

"I'm sorry. Please excuse me…" she breathed, her face flushed with color as she moved past us.

"Miss Trail!" Hazel gawked.

"I'm sorry, I… I have to go…!" she called back, quickly rushing off down the hall.

Hazel looked between me and the disappearing Melissa, before quickly excusing herself and running after the MC.

I sighed, heading back into my room and almost physically flinching at the sight of Tim sitting naked on his bed, his body still painted in black charcoal, the redhead basically exposing himself to me without a care.

I'd wrongly assumed that since Melissa had left our room fully clothed, Tim would've taken the time to put his clothes back on too. Or at least go and run himself a bath or something so he could start washing that crap off his body!

"Oh, God! C-c-can you-"

"What?"

"Can you cross your legs at _least_?!"

"Fine." Tim rolled his eyes, finally crossing his legs. "Shame ya had to come when you did. I was _really_ gettin' into it. Ya know, for bein' a part of a society where the one percent controls the ninety-nine percent, Lissy's actually pretty progressive. _Very_ into smashing boundaries and breaking taboos."

"I-I didn't need to kn-know that…!"

Tim raised his eyebrows. "Well I think ya might wanna know this: ya know how there's a thing in our contracts that say if we lose in the tournament we go back to The Facility?"

I sighed. "Listen, can you please just go and wash that shit off? W-w-w-we can talk after." I said, feeling more and more uncomfortable as Tim seemingly felt more and more _comfortable_.

"Well, _apparently_ ," Tim continued, ignoring my request, "it's pretty much the same deal for the other participants in the Friendship Tag Cup too. Ya know, the ones who didn't come from The Facility. Except they get sent to a recycling plant in the Slums of the Commons area and get forced into labor for the rest of their lives. At least that's what Lissy says."

"Shit…" I muttered, lumping myself down on my bed. Suddenly my disgust with what Tim had been doing didn't seem so… important, I guess. It probably wasn't the same thing, but I remembered after Kalin was arrested by Sector Security in my Dimension, me, Yusei, Jack and Crow were all sentenced to eighty hours of community service at the recycling plant in the Satellite Slums. To be fair, we'd all done something to warrant having to do that forced labor, what with all we'd done as Team Satisfaction, but no one in the Friendship Tag Cup, I thought, deserved to be life sentenced to service at the recycling plant for simply losing a tournament.

Now that I thought about it, I don't think I ever completed my service, what with Sayer getting a hold of me.

"So, where'd you run off to anyway?" Tim asked.

"I just went for a walk." I said, rubbing my eyes.

"Really? All night-"

"Yes, _all_ _night_!" I snapped at Tim without even meaning to. "Sorry, I… I almost did something stupid last night…"

"Yeah?"

I sighed. "Wh-when you went to sleep, I k-kept watching the Duels on TV, and…" my eyes veered from Tim's, "two of the competitors…" I swallowed audibly, "two of the competitors were alternate versions of Leo and Luna… and… just… with everything that had g-gone on, you know, with… with seeing Slade, and just… this whole thing… I called up room service… I was going to down a bottle of champagne… but when the guy gave it to me, I remembered Kobi, and the things he used t-to do, and I got scared…" my voice broke and I paused for a moment, "I-I don't want to be like him… so I put the bottle away, and… just went for a walk, 'cause I just had to… just had to get out, and think about what's been happening…" I scrunched my eyes shut and wiped at my face with my sleeve.

"So _that's_ why there was a bottle of champers in the fridge…" Tim muttered.

"I'm done feeling sorry for myself." I told him. "I can… I can worry about what's going on with my friends in my Dimension, b-but it won't make a difference…! I can't _do_ anything about it! But I can focus on the tour…nament, a-and that's what I need to do. I-if we don't win, then…" I trailed off, noticing Tim was staring at me, a wide smile on his darkened face. "Wh-what?"

"It's so good to hear you finally saying this." Tim said, beaming at me. "I've wanted to hear you say that for a while. And hey, don't worry about the whole recycling plant thing either. Just… you know, just try to put that all out of your mind for now. As long as we stick together, we'll be fine. I promise."

It was a little hard to pay attention to Tim's words with that charcoal on his face.

"Yeah, I just…" I yawned, "I'd l-like to get some sleep before our Duel today, if that's okay."

"Yeah, go for it. I gotta wash this stuff off me anyway. Don't want people to get the wrong idea."

I pushed a bit of air out as I found myself smiling. "Wouldn't want that…" I muttered. Tim got up off his bed and went to head into the bathroom, but I called back to him. "Tim?"

"Yeah?"

I once again averted my eyes from the naked charcoal-covered man. "I-i-if you want to invite a girl, o-or guy back to our room to fool around with, that's fine with me, but… c-can you let me know beforehand? Just so I know what I might be walking into?"

"Deal." Tim continued to smile at me, before giving me a thumbs up and heading into the bathroom. I fell back onto my bed, not even bothering to pull the sheets back.

" _Tyler_ …" I could hear the words of Apple Magician Girl echoing in my head, " _I'll let you get some rest, but I just wanted to let you know I'm glad you're back_ … _And I don't think you're anything like Kobi_ …"

"Thanks, Fizdis…" I mumbled, and before I knew it, I'd drifted off to sleep, hoping that Tim would wake me when it was time for our Duel.

* * *

The crowd at the Seto Kaiba Memorial Circuit had thinned just a little from the day before, probably because half the competitors, and supposedly several audience favorites, had been eliminated. Compared to the day before, I was feeling much more relaxed, but that really wasn't saying much, though I was thankful for the modicum of sleep I'd gotten.

Melissa's cheerful voice cut through the crowds' cheers. "Neo Domino City, united as one! Here we are – day two of the Friendship Tag Cup, and the start of the quarter-finals!"

"Isn't she _great_?" Tim smiled at me.

"Yeah…" I muttered, the thought of Melissa and Tim being naked in our hotel room only briefly crossing my mind.

My eyes locked with Slade's for a brief moment, the blond standing across from Tim and me with his partner. I pushed the feelings of unease away and reminded myself that the Slade who stood in front of me was not the same one I'd encountered last year. Killing him or trying to enact some sort of inane revenge plan would have done nothing to help me. I had to get that through my thick fucking head. He was my opponent, nothing more.

Still… if he _did_ happen to wind up at the recycling plant, I wasn't going to be upset about it.

"And _now_! The first match of the quarter-finals! Tyler 'the Terror' Nochi, and the absolutely _strapping_ Tim Ihansha, coming from their technical victory over Gongenzaka and Vokah, _versus_ Thomas 'Dinosaur' Hakozaki and Slade Burodi, the pro-newcomer team that utterly _annihilated_ their opponents Gureka and Horitsu in the first round! I wonder what kind of Duel they have in store for us!"

"Remember our agreement, Hakozaki." Slade eyed his partner wearily. "We win this, and you get to take down Pace, but you still have to get me to the finals, _capisce_?"

"Whatever," Hakozaki shrugged, "but I _will_ be taking down Pace and reclaiming my title." Hakozaki then turned to us, focusing more so on Tim than me. "I'm sorry, but I have to win. And I won't give up until I've reclaimed my title. Not even if you turn my cards into Shapesnatch or Fake Trap."

"Trust me; you won't have to worry about that." Tim smiled.

Slade and Hakozaki activated their Duel Disks, and Tim and I followed suit.

"Let's go!" Melissa hyped.

" _Duel_!"

[Tim & Tyler: 8000 LP]  
[Hakozaki & Slade: 8000 LP]

"I'm sorry," Hakozaki drew, "but I have to finish this quickly. I activate the Spell Card Fossil Dig, allowing me to add a Level Six or lower Dinosaur to my hand from the Deck." Hakozaki's Deck shuffled a card to the top which he then drew, showing to us a Petiteranodon. "I Set a Monster and two more cards. I end my turn."

"Alright then," Tim drew. "You want things to end quickly? No problem! I activate the Spell Card Pot of Greed, which lets me draw two cards from my Deck." Just as they did during our Duel with Gong and Vokah, the audience booed as Tim drew. "Next, I activate _another_ Pot of Greed, once again letting me draw two cards." Tim drew again. "Finally, I Set two cards face-down and Normal Summon Sangan in Attack Position!" the furry three-eyed critter appeared on Tim's field [ATK: 1000]. "I end my turn."

Slade drew, eyeing me for a moment before looking at his hand. "I Summon Crystal Beast Amber Mammoth in Attack Position!" a gray mammoth with amber embedded in the Monster's forehead appeared on Slade's field [ATK: 1700].

"Hold it! I activate Jar of Greed!" Tim shouted, revealing his face-down. "This Trap Card lets me draw a card from my Deck." Tim drew.

"Fine. I Flip Summon Hakozaki's Set Monster!" the Dinosaur card I'd caught a glimpse of before appeared on the field [Petiteranodon: ATK: 500]. "And, now I enter my Battle Phase! Amber Mammoth attacks Sangan!"

With a trumpeting of its trunk, Amber Mammoth charged toward Sangan, impaling it with one of its tusks.

[Tim & Tyler: 7300 LP]

"With Sangan destroyed, I can activate his effect, and add a Monster with fifteen hundred or less Attack Points from my Deck to my hand." Tim retrieved the head of Exodia the Forbidden One from his Deck, showing it to myself, Hakozaki and Slade.

While Hakozaki seemed to react similar to how Vokah did in our last Duel, Slade didn't seem fazed at all. "No one in this Dimension has ever Summoned Exodia." Slade boasted. "And you _won't_ be the first! Petiteranodon, attack!"

I had no time to dwell on Slade's words as Tim was 'attacked' by Petiteranodon, the tiny pterodactyl launching itself at Tim.

"Stop! He's too _cute_!" Tim weakly slapped the baby dinosaur away.

[Tim & Tyler: 6800 LP]

"I'll Set a card and end my turn." Slade said, obviously not amused by how lightly Tim seemed to take the attack.

I exhaled shakily, drawing a card from my Deck as I urged myself to try and keep my stutter under control. "I play M-M-M-Monster Reincarnation, discarding a Monster to get a M-Monster back from the Graveyard." I discarded Moisture Creature from my hand and retrieved Sangan from Tim's Graveyard, adding the card to my hand. "Next, I Summon Sangan in Attack Position!" Tim's critter reappeared on my field [ATK: 1000]. "Now I enter my… Battle Phase! Sangan, attack Petiteranodon!"

Three beams of light shot out of Sangan's eyes, incinerating Petiteranodon.

[Hakozaki & Slade: 7500 LP]

"Is that all?" Slade asked.

"Not quite. I activate the Spell Card Prohibition, and I select Ultimate Conductor Tyranno as my target." A sign erected itself on my side of the field, reading 'Ultimate Conductor Tyranno' across it. "Now, as long as Prohibition remains on the field, Ultimate Conductor Tyranno c-c-can't be played."

Hakozaki's eyes widened. "Damn it."

I was pretty pleased to have been able to, at least for now, stop the Summon of what seemed to be Hakozaki's ace Monster. Of course, there was always a chance that one or both of them had something to remove my Prohibition, but I told myself that I'd worry about that when and if that happened. "I end my t-turn."

Hakozaki drew. "I Summon Sabersaurus in Attack Position!" a terrifying bright red triceratops appeared on Hakozaki's field [ATK: 1900]. "Next I reveal my face-down card, Extinction on Schedule! I pay two thousand Life Points, and three turns from now in the Battle Phase, we all send every card we control to the Graveyard!"

[Hakozaki & Slade: 5500 LP]

"You guys won't make it to then." Tim told them.

"We'll see…!" Hakozaki smirked. "I enter my Battle Phase! Amber Mammoth attacks Sangan!"

Once again, Sangan was impaled by one of Amber Mammoth's tusks, only this time I was forced to take a step back from the resulting shockwave.

[Tim & Tyler: 6100 LP]

"I activate Sangan's effect and add Royal Magical Library from my Deck to my hand." I said, retrieving the card from my Deck and then showing it to Tim, Slade and Hakozaki.

"That won't save you!" Hakozaki shouted. "Sabersaurus, attack directly!"

I gasped as I watched Sabersaurus charge right at me, myself paralyzed with fear. Tim jumped in front of me, taking the hit before literally batting the dinosaur away, much like he'd done with Petiteranodon.

[Tim & Tyler: 4200 LP]

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"Yeah," Tim nodded, "don't worry. It won't be like last time."

"I end my turn." Hakozaki muttered.

Tim drew. "I Set two cards face-down and Summon Witch of the Black Forest in Attack Position!" the violet-haired witch appeared on Tim's field [ATK: 1100]. "Now, I enter my Battle Phase and attack Amber Mammoth with Witch of the Black Forest!"

Slade's eyes widened in confusion as his Monster was seized by Witch of the Black Forest's power, before breaking free and then running her down.

[Tim & Tyler: 3600 LP]

"Why did you-"

"Since my witch has been sent from the field to the Graveyard, I'm allowed to add a Monster with fifteen hundred or less Defense Points from my Deck to my hand." Tim tapped the screen of his Duel Disk's tablet, his Deck automatically shuffling before Tim drew, revealing to us the Left Arm of the Forbidden One, and adding the card to his hand. "I end my turn."

"Then I draw-" Slade began, only for Tim to throw his hand out.

"I reveal my face-down Jar of Greed, which allows me to draw a card from my Deck."

My eyes widened as Tim smiled at the card he drew, and then revealed to us that all five pieces of Exodia the Forbidden One were now in his hand. " _Unbelievable_!" Hakozaki shouted.

Tim placed the five pieces of Exodia the Forbidden One onto his Duel Disk, Exodia's body and limbs appearing above Tim. Each limb jerked and pulsed before floating up and merging with the main body in the sky. In a flash of light, the powerful Monster – the Legendary Exodia Incarnate – appeared. "What were you saying?" Tim asked. "That I'd never be able to Summon Exodia?" Tim laughed heartily. Exodia brought both his hands together, a ball of energy forming in his hands. With one hand, Exodia pulled the ball back and then forward, Tim mimicking his Monster's movements with a jeer. "Exodia! _Obliterate_!"

The ball of energy was thrown forward, disintegrating both Hakozaki's and Slade's Monsters to dust and depleting their Life Points.

[Hakozaki & Slade: 0 LP]

Hakozaki dropped to his knees in defeat, cards falling from his Duel Disk. "No…" he muttered breathlessly, "no, no, no…"

"Worthless…" Slade twitched, throwing his arm down in disgust. "I thought you were supposed to be one of the best here, Hakozaki…"

"I can't believe you were able to Summon Exodia…" Hakozaki muttered, focusing entirely on Tim.

"That. Was. _Incredible_!" Melissa shouted, even though it _really_ wasn't. All Tim did was draw cards, and all _I_ did was help him stall for time. Nevertheless, the crowd seemed to agree with the MC, their cheering for us much louder than it had been in our previous Duel. Probably because this time the Duel actually made sense. "History has been made today, ladies and gentlemen! Not only have Tyler 'the Terror' and Tim Ihansha won their Duel against Thomas Hakozaki and Slade, but the _gorgeous_ redhead also managed to Summon Exodia! For the first time ever! Right here at the Friendship Tag Cup! How cool is _that_?!"

"Yugi did it first." I said, covering it with a cough before and after. The crowd continued to cheer however, and Tim beckoned to them, enjoying every second of it. Hakozaki rushed to pick up his cards and our opponents moved away from the Duel Field as Tim continued to soak up the applause. I turned to him. "Hey, Tim?"

It took him a few moments to respond, still focused on the audience. "Yeah?"

"Th-th…" I sighed, "Thanks for taking that hit for me before…"

"No worries." Tim grinned.

"How great was that, everyone?! Talk about making the impossible possible!" Melissa continued. "But now! It's time for the next Duel! 'Hunter' Pace Mukuro and Gokei Steele, versus Tony Zomboni and Sesu Lomakkia!"

"Nah, come on! Cheer a bit more for me, hey?!" Tim called.

"I'm sorry, darling-" Melissa cleared her throat, " _Tim_ , but we must move on! Teams, to the Duel Field!"

Tim sighed as the two of us moved away from the Duel Field.

Tony and Sesu.

I'd watched them in their previous Duel, and I remembered reading those names in my counterpart's suicide note. His family, he called them. And Crow had mentioned Sesu too. So, I had to assume that they were the same Tony and Sesu that my counterpart knew, what with them also being tag partners.

I could see Tony and Sesu approaching the Duel Field, moving past Hakozaki and Slade, which meant that Hunter Pace and Gokei Steele were probably on their way to take our spots on the Duel Field as well. I furrowed my brows as I saw that, waiting where Hakozaki and Slade had entered from was Dennis McField, the guy who'd rescued Celina from her cell at The Facility. I found that strange however, as he had been Yuya and Zuzu's opponent in the last round, along with Sylvio Sawatari, and should have been sent back to The Facility when he lost. Not that I agreed with it, I just found it odd that he still seemed to be around.

What was even _more_ odd however, was when Slade stopped to speak with Dennis, and I swore I saw his eyes shift back to me for a moment.

"You alright, Tyler?" Tim asked.

"Yeah…" I said slowly. "You go back to the… hotel… I'll be… there in a bit…"

"Suit yourself." Tim shrugged. "I'll order some room service or something for us. Don't take too long."

I nodded, but I wasn't really listening, instead focused on Dennis's and Slade's conversation. I skirted around the Duel Field once Slade looked back at me one more time. He was obviously talking about me, but I couldn't think of a reason why that would be. I assumed that Dennis was one of Yuya's friends, as he was with him when they escaped The Facility and arrived at the Kaiba Corporation, and had acted very jovial and gracious during his Duel against him and Zuzu, and I figured that if Slade was talking to him that maybe Slade was one of Dennis's friends.

I watched them head off down the hall, but there was just something about the way that Slade had looked at me that made me follow him. Of course, both ends of the hall leading into the stadium eventually looped around and came together anyway. And it wasn't like I'd get accosted by any KC Guards. After all, I'd won, and as long as I kept winning, I'd be free.

I came around a bend and pulled myself back as Slade and Dennis continued to converse.

"Who else is here?" Slade asked.

"As far as I know, it's just the two of us for the moment." Dennis said. "If we take too long, he might send the others here, so we probably should try and wrap this up as quickly as we can."

Slade nodded. "Well we'll need to find another way, now that both of us have lost."

Dennis smiled. "Speaking of which, I'll leave you to deal with _him_ … and make sure you do…" he muttered, turning and walking off. Slade stood still for a few moments, and just when I thought it was safe to leave, Slade spoke again.

"Come on. Out you come." He beckoned to where I'd thought I was hidden, my heart leaping into my throat. "No one ever teach you not to eavesdrop, emo boy?" Slade asked softly.

_Hey, you! Emo boy! This isn't over! You haven't heard the last of this!_

My eyes widened as I moved out from behind the wall. "What did you say?"

"Slow. I knew it was you the moment I saw you." Slade turned to face me, a wicked smile on his face. "Ya know, I never woulda imagined you'd be here in Dimension S-534…"

"W-what?"

"You really have no idea, do you?" He chided, the space between us getting smaller and smaller.

"I-I th-I think you've got the wr-wrong person…" I told him.

"No, no. You're the one. I remember." He said calmly, but I could hear a tinge of anger in his voice becoming all the more prominent as he spoke. "What? You don't?" he asked. "Akiza? Jack Atlas breakin' my arm?"

_Looks like you fail, Witch!_

_Not so tough now, are ya?!_

I started to feel sick. "Wait, so you're… y-you're the Slade from _my_ Dimension?"

"Dimension D-521?" Slade scoffed. "Fuck that. That Dimension's trash. I was only there 'cause-" Slade suddenly stopped, shook his head and laughed. "Why am I _telling_ you this…?" he asked himself.

"But how…? Y-you look-"

"Ah, screw it. Might as well." He told himself. "Cosmetic surgery. Helpful when moving across Dimensions, especially on the off chance that someone might recognise you otherwise." Slade touched his cleft lip, running his fingers across his face.

"I don't… I don't understand…" I muttered.

"No, of course you don't. I heard you came here by accident. Which is good, 'cause now I can get my revenge. I mean, I was always planning on coming back, and bringing some pals along to help." Slade flexed his fingers. I took a step back to get some distance which Slade quickly closed before looking down at his Duel Disk. "But, you know, if you're here, it means it's possible to travel between Dimensions without an FLD. And… having you as a card should put me in better standing with The Chancellor."

"W-w-what are you t-talking about?" I stammered, Slade loading a card into his Duel Disk.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you…" a voice echoed through the hall. Slade and I turned to see Mokuba and Declan approaching us, a throng of KC Guards coming from both sides.

"You…" Slade twitched, eyeing Declan before being grabbed and restrained by one of the guards. "I knew you'd have someone else come and bail you out…!" he spat. "Just like last time-"

"That's enough." Mokuba said, a KC Guard forcing a mask onto the blond's face. "Are you alright?" Mokuba asked, turning to me.

"I th… I think so…" I muttered.

Slade struggled in vain, attempting to take the mask off before screaming in pain and collapsing.

"Mr. Akaba," Mokuba looked over at Declan, whose eyes stayed on Slade's unmoving body, the young man walking over and removing Slade's Duel Disk from his arm.

"Just as I thought…" Declan muttered, holding the shield-shaped Duel Disk in his hands. "He's one of them, Mr. Kaiba."

"O-o-o-one of what?" I asked softly.

Mokuba turned to me. "I think it's best you came with us."

Declan nodded, walking over to me. "We have some questions to ask you…"

* * *

A metallic décor and the continuous buzzing of electronics did little to ease my nerves as I sat across from Mokuba and Declan in a small room inside the Kaiba Corporation. It was just the three of us. No KC Guards, no High Council.

"We should be free to talk in here." Mokuba said, glancing at the door at the back of the room. "Anyway, before we begin, congratulations on your last Duel."

"O-oh… Th-thank you, Mr. K…aiba…" I gasped, feeling myself caught on my words. "S-sorry, I've got a speech impediment."

"That's alright. You can't help it." Mokuba assured me.

I sighed, Declan adjusting his glasses. "Okay," he spoke softly, "we'll take this slow. That person you were talking to before, Slade Burodi, how do you know him?"

"Look: I don't know anything. _Really_. I know just as m…" I shook my head, "probably _less_ than you do. All I know is I thought Slade was this Dimension's counterpart to the one in my Dimension, but apparently, he's the _same_ Slade that was in my Dimension. Originally, I had barely _any_ connection with him. He was applying for his Duel Runner Licence along with one of my friends, and Slade failed the test, but he came to watch my friend try and get her licence. During her l-l-licence test, he and a couple of his friends tried to get her to c-crash and fled the scene. I went after them, 'cause, you know, my friend could have been killed. Slade tried to come at me with a kn…ife, but he was taken into custody and arrested. I had no idea what happened to him after that. How he ended up here or anything."

"Well, I have confirmation that Slade was sent here as a spy for the Fusion Dimension." Declan continued to speak calmly. "And due to the fact that the two of you have prior history, would I be right to assume then that you are _also_ from the Fusion Dimension?" Declan asked.

"I-I don't know. I don't know what my Dimension is. Slade said it was D-five-something, I-I don't know what that means…" I told him. "Listen, I know I come from a different Dimension, and I know that you yourself come from a different Dimension, because Yuya said so. Where my Dimension is, and what my Dimension is in relation to how you perceive it, I don't know. The re... the reas…" I was starting to get flustered. "The reason that I'm here, in this tournament right now, is so I can get home. I just want the boat so I can go."

Declan sat back in his seat. "I suppose. I've seen the boat myself, and I cannot recall the Fusion Dimension ever owning or using any sort of trans-dimensional bamboo boat."

I turned to Mokuba, "M-M-Mr. Kaiba, I was under the impression before, you know, when we were all here, that… Tim and I would get the boat back if we participated in the tournament, but… you know, I read through the terms and conditions and… I mean, it says if we lose, we go back to The Facility."

"Ah…" Mokuba nodded knowingly. "The High Council worked with Sector Security to come up with those terms and conditions. I actually had no idea that this was something that they'd agreed on until after the fact." Mokuba cleared his throat. "But I'm fully prepared to give you and your friend the boat back. After all, even if you lose, there's nothing stopping me from giving you guys the boat anyway. The Council, however, believes that winners should be rewarded and losers should be punished, which is why they've pushed for what they have."

"Listen, I get it. Rogét said something similar. Talking about upholding the peace, and, you know, I get it, but-"

"You've spoken with Rogét?" Mokuba asked.

I nodded. "When we were arrested, um… Celina, Crow, Tim and myself were isolated from the rest of the prisoners, and eventually we were questioned by Rogét, and I broke under him. He knew that I was from another Dimension, he had photos of Tim and I arriving on the boat." I fidgeted. "I was actually going to… I was actually going to show them to the High Council as proof, you know? When… when Rogét said that us coming from another Dimension was absurd, but… the photos were damaged when we escaped, so I got rid of them."

"That's okay." Mokuba smiled. "With any luck, the digital copies will still be on the server. I'll sort that out after this." He turned to Declan. "Mr. Akaba?"

Declan just continued to stare at me, or at least I think he did. I wasn't able to see his eyes behind his glasses.

In spite of, or perhaps because of Declan's silence, I pressed on. "Look, honestly, if I could help you, I would, but I don't know what you want from me. Talk to Tim. He knows way more about this stuff than I do. In fact, Yuya told him about what the Fusion Dimension is doing, and he told me he wants to help." I explained. "Or better yet, go talk to Slade. If anyone knows anything about what's going on, it's probably him."

"Slade's dead." Declan said calmly.

My heart skipped a beat. "What?"

"He struggled too much, and the Deprivation Mask ended up killing him." Mokuba spoke up.

"Is that what those are…?" I whispered, recalling Rogét also getting fitted with a mask before he too was dragged off.

"Standard Elevation Masks usually just reduce the flow of oxygen into the body, but our Deprivation Masks can also permanently blind the wearer, reduce brain and muscle function, and shock the body into shutting down should they attempt to remove it of their own volition." Mokuba explained.

"Oh my God…" I muttered.

"The Deprivation Masks are a last resort, used to deal with particularly troublesome individuals… or Rogét, but Rogét knows the protocol. With others, we rarely ever have to use them, but Mr. Akaba explained to me the situation with Slade."

"Slade's Duel Disk is equipped with Human Sealing Technology. He was going to seal you into a card." Declan furthered.

My eyes widened. I remembered Tim saying something about that. How people from the Fusion Dimension would seal others into cards and then use their energy for something. "What? So, I could have… been turned into a card…?"

"Not just you, but anyone else he felt like too. We had to take him out while we could." Declan explained.

I exhaled shakily, unsure of what to feel or what to say. "W-w-well… th-thank you for s-saving me…"

Declan placed Slade's Duel Disk onto the table. "Do you recognize this Duel Disk?" he asked.

"No, I've never seen it." I shook my head. "In fact, I've never seen any of the Duel Disks that I've, you know, seen in this Dimension. Even this one." I detached my Duel Disk from my arm and placed it on the table as well. "I know that… this one belonged to my counterpart from here…"

" _Your_ counterpart?" Declan asked.

I nodded. "The Dimension I come from has a City just like this one, and people just like this one. There was a version of me living here in the Commons, and he… took his own life…" I exhaled. "I didn't know where I was or what was happening, but… I decided I'd… assume the role of my counterpart. No one knew he'd killed himself, you see, and so I took his Deck and Duel Disk to… I don't know, I guess create a ruse, and… pretend I was someone I wasn't."

I exhaled once more. Saying it out loud made me realize how much of an asshole I was. I basically stole a person's life, I pretended to be someone I wasn't, all because I wasn't strong enough to tell them the truth. If Rogét hadn't have told Crow, I'm not sure I ever would have. He had every right to be pissed with me. I was pissed with myself.

"Mr. Akaba?" Mokuba asked.

"If there exists a world, a Twin Dimension to this one, then…" Declan muttered, "this might change everything…" Declan shook his head. "I was under the impression there were only four Dimensions, but if what you're saying is true, then…"

"Look. I don't know, okay? You probably should talk to Tim. I've only been to four Dimensions myself: my home, this place, one that I didn't really get a good look at 'cause I was unconscious for most of it, and one where a multi-dimensional corporate entity fed babies to other babies, and that one was _really_ weird." I shivered. Even just thinking about the Kmart Dimension made me want to throw up.

"How is _your_ world different from this one?" Mokuba asked.

"Well… we don't have a High Council in our City, and our version of the Commons is called the Satellite. But really the big difference between Neo Domino City and my _New_ Domino City is that we don't have that cultural divide or class difference that you guys have. I mean, don't get me wrong, we did, but for the most part, that's gone now. We had a thing called Zero Reverse, that split the Satellite off from New Domino City – I don't know if that's what happened here – but, uh… the divide between the Satellite and the rest of New Domino City was pretty much fixed when a friend of mine… um…" I trailed off, unsure of whether or not to continue.

"When what?" Mokuba sounded honestly interested in what I had to say.

"Well, it sounds a bit… farfetched…" I mumbled.

Mokuba's face broke a smile. "Trust me. There were some things that happened to me when I was a kid that would sound farfetched if I told you. And that's why I believe what Mr. Akaba's been saying about Duel Academy and the Interdimensional War, because honestly, after the stuff I've seen, it's not. So, go on, tell me."

"Well, it was just… um… my friends and I… we defeated these people called the Dark Signers, and this group called Yliaster."

"Yliaster…?" Mokuba asked softly, his eyes widening before looking away.

"Yeah… Why? What is it?"

Mokuba leaned a little bit closer to me. "You know who they are, right?"

"Not really. I know the word, and I know that I've had some dealings with it or them in the past, but I couldn't tell you what Yliaster actually is."

"I'm not entirely sure myself, to be honest. What I do know is that they're apparently a group that has existed since the dawn of time, and their members leak into all aspects of the world – military, economy, technology, society, and religion. Whether or not that's true, I don't know, but there have been rumors going around that Rogét is associated with them, and I've dealt with others like Yliaster in the past myself." Mokuba sat back in his chair.

"Oh… well I didn't know anything like that." I admitted.

Declan had been silent while I spoke, his hands together in thought. "What about the Extra Deck Summon methods in your Dimension?" he asked softly.

"U-um… we have both Fusion and Synchro Monsters, but no Xyz or Pendulum Monsters."

"I see…" Declan pondered, once again looking over at Slade's Duel Disk.

"I-I'm sorry, I don't really know what you guys want from me…" I muttered. "I-I've told you everything I can about… about Slade and my Dimension. If… if you don't have any more questions for me, I'd v…ery much like to get back to my room at the hotel. Tim's probably waiting for me."

"One last thing, Mr. Nochi." Mokuba spoke softly. "You said before that your world is similar to this one?" he asked. I nodded. "Well… in your world… Seto… Is he alive…?"

"Seto Kaiba?" I said softly. "Yeah, I mean, I don't know him personally, but yeah, he's alive. Still the CEO of KaibaCorp, uh… he set up the M.I.D.S. and he helped establish the first of many Duel Academies." I noticed that as I said 'Duel Academy', Declan had looked up from Slade's Duel Disk and over at me, as though the young man was unable to not be drawn to the conversation.

"What?" he asked.

"Yeah, uh… listen. I know before, I heard you speak to the Council, and you told them that you were… trying to protect this place from a Duel Academy's invasion, but…" I sighed, burying my head in my hands. "I don't know, okay? In the last twenty-four hours I've had two hours of sleep. I don't know what the fuck I'm saying anymore… I just… I…" I slowly felt myself start to lose my grip on where I was and what I was saying, like I was having a mental breakdown or a bout of sensory overload. People were asking me things that I had no answers to and no real knowledge of, like I was some sort of Goddamn ambassador for my Dimension or some shit, but I was probably the least qualified to say anything about _anything_! And just from Declan's one little 'what', it was just so… I didn't even know how to _respond_ to that.

I felt my breathing begin to quicken, and I tried my best to steady myself, and when I was sure I'd gotten myself under control, I spoke again. "I don't like being kept in the dark on things, okay? Less than a year ago, I found out that what I thought my whole life had been was a complete load of crap, and the one person who could have… told me, or shed some light on it, kept me in the dark. Now that termagant Celina apparently thinks I'm not strong enough to _be_ a Lancer or whatever – that's fine. There are plenty of other Duelists in my Dimension who are _way_ stronger than me. And I'm sure that if I explain the situation to them that most, if not all, will be happy to help you. But I don't know, okay? I don't know _who_ you're fighting against, I don't know _why_ you want to fight against them, and frankly, I don't know if I can _trust_ you. I never knew this place existed, and I don't know what you guys consider normal or… not. It would be a lot more helpful if you told me what you're thinking and what you're feeling instead of just asking me questions. If that's what you want, you just want to ask me questions, that's fine, but don't ask why, okay? Because I don't know why." I exhaled loudly, louder than I'd actually wanted to.

"Okay… you want to know what's going on?" Declan asked softly. "I'll tell you: there is an institution that exists in the Fusion Dimension known as Duel Academy. Duel Academy trains soldiers in Duel Monsters, equipping them with Duel Disks fitted with Real Solid Vision, Human Sealing Technology, and a Fixed Location Device. They use this to wage war on other Dimensions and have destroyed countless cities and countries in the Xyz Dimension, as well as take the lives of innocent civilians and children. I created my own group, the Lancers, and our goal is to put a stop to Duel Academy, because these people… they're not just a threat to us… they're a threat to everyone, no matter where you come from… and if you've met this Slade person before in your Dimension… then it means that they've been aware of a wider multiverse, something that I didn't know existed, and that Duel Academy's been sending spies to perform reconnaissance on your Dimension as well. There may be more in your Dimension, and as you saw today, at least one spy has been found here. I'm not asking you to trust me, or us, but you do have to know that if we fail here to gather support, then your Dimension will most likely fall to them just like the Xyz Dimension did."

I sighed. "But why are they doing this? What's their endgame?"

"I don't know." Declan said surprisingly. "What I do know is that it goes by the name Aquaria Project."

"Aquaria? Y-you mean like a utopia?"

"Possibly, though I'm not entirely sure. But, regardless of _what_ it is, invading other Dimensions and carding innocent people is unacceptable. That's the bottom line."

"We thought your connection to Slade might have shed some light on what Duel Academy is planning to do. If there is any other information that you have, we'd greatly appreciate you letting us know." Mokuba added.

"Well there is one other thing…" I mumbled, thinking back to my confrontation with Slade. "Slade said that by turning me into a card, he'd be put in 'better standing' with someone called The Chancellor. I don't know who that is, but… it seemed like they might be someone important. That's all I know."

Mokuba and Declan turned to each other, before Mokuba looked back at me with a smile. "Well, you've given us a lot to think about, and I'll be getting into contact with Mr. Ihansha soon regarding the status of the boat. Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Nochi." Mokuba said as he and Declan stood up, myself doing the same after grabbing my Duel Disk. Mokuba motioned for me to leave through the door, which I did, a member of the KC Guard arriving soon after to escort me from the Kaiba Corporation and back to my hotel room.

* * *

The KC Guard opened the door to my hotel room for me, and I silently prayed that Tim wasn't naked on the other side like he'd been in the morning.

Thankfully he wasn't. I mean, he didn't have a shirt on, but that was better than him being naked. Tim sat on his bed with a pizza box in his lap, watching (surprisingly) the Duels from the Friendship Tag Cup, but his attention was immediately drawn to me as the door opened. " _There_ you are!" he shouted. I hadn't even taken a step inside and Tim was already on me. "Where'd _you_ run off to?"

The KC Guard bowed, stepping back as he left the room, closing the door in front of him.

I sighed. "I, um… I almost got sealed into a card by Slade-"

"What?! Where is he?! That motherfu-"

"Tim, it's okay! He didn't get the chance to card me. M-M-M-Mokuba and Declan intervened. That's actually why I took so long. They… wanted to talk to me. The Slade that we Dueled today, the one who I thought was a Dimensional counterpart, he wasn't…! He was _my_ Slade. No, not even my Slade. He was a spy for the Fusion Dimension, and the person I saw in my Dimension wasn't from my Dimension, but it was him."

"I don't know what you mean…"

I sighed, trying to think of a better way to word what I understood to have been the case with Slade. "Okay, so… the Slade that we Dueled was the Slade that I met in my Dimension, but Slade's not _from_ my Dimension. He's actually a spy from the Fusion Dimension."

"Well _that's_ not good." Tim told me, scratching his scar. "But as long as you're alright. I regret letting you go off on your own like that though."

Before I even realized it, I had a smile on my face. "Were you _worried_ about me?"

"Of _course_ I was worried, _dummy_!" Tim said, his cheeks a little red. "For one thing, your pizza's been getting cold. Two, I was gonna get burgers, but then I thought 'who doesn't like pizza?'," Tim sidetracked himself, "and three, if you got turned into a card, there wouldn't be anything I could do to help you!"

"Tim-"

"No," Tim grabbed my shoulders suddenly, pulling me closer to him and looking deep into my eyes. "Listen, Tyler, this is serious. I can't bring you back to life if you're a card, and the fact that these people are here means that this Dimension isn't safe. _We're_ not safe. We need to stick together from now on."

"I-I mean, isn't that kind of what we've _been_ doing-"

"No talking when I'm talking." Tim said firmly. "Until I get you back to your Dimension, I want you near me at all times. That means no going off on your own at night anymore. From now on we stay here in the hotel room and then we go to the stadium to Duel. That's it."

"Tim-"

"No arguments. If you want to go anywhere else, we go together, and we leave together. That's final." Tim stated. "Now, what did Declan and Mokubro want to talk to you about? Was it the boat?"

"No, it was my connection with Slade. But Mokuba did say he'd be getting into contact with you at some point to talk about the boat. No… mostly they just wanted to know where I came from and if I had any information on the Fusion Dimension, sort of like what happened with Rogét. I told them what you said, that we need to do something about it-"

"' _We_ '? No. No way." Tim said firmly. " _I'm_ happy to get involved, but not you, okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"If there's some sort of Interdimensional War going on, you're not going to be a part of it. Once we've won and got the boat back, I'll take you home, and then I'll deal with the Fusion Dimension myself."

"There are plenty of Duelists in my Dimension who I'm sure would be happy to help. Yusei and the others-"

"This isn't a game, Tyler, alright?! It might seem like it, because 'Ooh! Trading cards!' but I've seen what war does to people! What can happen! You see all these TV shows and movies that glamorize it or make it into a joke, but it's not! I know you've been through that stuff with the Dark Signers, but trust me, a day in the dark is nothing compared to a lifetime of torture and chaos…!" Tim's face twitched and he turned away from me, walking over to the window. "It doesn't go away. It doesn't get better." he said softly.

"Tim…"

"The stuff I've had to go through… I'd rather not subject you to that…" He whispered.

I looked at the redhead in sadness and amazement, having witnessed probably the most human moment I'd ever seen or would see from Tim, and I really had no idea what to say.

"Tim, I'm… I'm sorry that you had to go through what you did…"

"If I had the choice to go back and never be a part of it… maybe I would…" Tim sighed, wiping his eyes as he turned back to me. "You never know what the future's gonna hold, Tyler. And _your_ future's waiting for you back home. _That's_ where you belong." He smiled.

" _A-ma-zing_!" Melissa's voice came through the TV. "This round's winners are Celina Belfri and 'The Commons Comet' Yugo Furei!"

I turned to face the TV, seeing that Celina and Yugo, the latter being the spitting image of a younger Yusei, had defeated Crow and Shinji. From observing their previous Duel against Tatsuya and Maizuru, I knew that Celina ran an archetype known as Lunalight, and Yugo ran Speedroids. They looked to be pretty tough to beat.

"Hey…" I looked over at Tim as he spoke, handing me a box of pizza. "You gonna eat or what?"

"Yeah…" I smiled, taking my Duel Disk off as I sat down on my bed. "This hasn't got mushrooms on it, does it?"

"Nah, I just got you a meatlovers. Is that alright?"

"That's _perfect_. Thank you." I continued to smile, opening up the box and helping myself to a slice of lukewarm pizza. "Oh…!" I said, my voice muffled by the pizza in my mouth. "Who won the Duel before?"

"Lomakkia and Zamboni. So, we'll be Dueling them tomorrow." Tim told me.

"Now, for the final Duel of the second round! Twins Leo and Luna Larunde versus Yuya Sakaki and Zuzu Boyle!"

"Are they the two kids? Leo and Luna?" Tim asked as the twins appeared on the screen.

"That's them…" I muttered, as hard as it was to believe.

"You'd better be good…" Luna told Yuya and Zuzu. "Anything else would be boring…"

" _Duel_!"

[Yuya & Zuzu: 8000 LP]  
[Leo & Luna: 8000 LP]

"I'll begin!" Zuzu shouted, "I Normal Summon Opera the Melodious Diva in Attack Position!" a petit pink-haired girl appeared on Zuzu's field, twirling around and greeting the twins with a smile [ATK: 2300]. "Then I'll Set two cards face-down and end my turn."

"Fine. If you're gonna start for your team, then Luna can start for us!" Leo boasted.

Luna turned to her twin. "Whatever… I draw…" she muttered. I leaned closer to the TV, curious to see what kind of Deck this Luna used. "I activate the Field Spell – Fairy Tale Prologue: Journey's Dawn…" a cartoon sun appeared in the sky with a wide smile and rosy cheeks. "Then I'll Set one Monster in Defense Position, and one more card face-down. I end my turn."

"Nice work, Luna!" Leo smiled.

"Leo, shut up." She said crudely. I almost couldn't believe Luna was talking to her brother like that.

"How old is she?" Tim asked.

I choked down another slice of pizza. "W-w-well, if they're the same age as the twins in my Dimension, and their birthday is on the same day, twelve."

"Well she's acting like she's got a massive chip on her shoulder. She's not like that in your Dimension, is she?"

"N-n-not until I went and fucked things up…" I muttered.

"Alright!" Yuya shouted, drawing, before revealing two cards in his hand to the twins. "With these two Monsters, I'll set the Pendulum Scale – Scale One Performapal Gumgumouton, and Scale Eight Xiangsheng Magician!"

"Pendulum Scale?" Leo asked.

"Now, with this, I can Special Summon Monsters from my hand whose Levels range from Two to Seven simultaneously!" Yuya explained.

"Simultaneously…" Luna muttered, Yuya's Monsters appearing on the field, rising up as they were cloaked in light. A large blue crystal appeared in the center, held on a string and swinging back and forth.

"Swing, pendulum of souls! Draw an arc of light across the sky and carve the arc of victory in the ether! Pendulum Summon!" a portal opened up on Yuya's field, four streams of colored light flying out and hitting the field. "Come forth, my Monsters! Xiangke Magician! Performapal Bubblebowwow! Performapal Whip Snake! And Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!"

"What the Hell?!" I shouted, a myriad of Monsters staring the twins down.

"Oh, come on! There's no way that's legal!" Tim protested, and in spite of him stacking his Deck with multiple Pot of Greed cards and the like, I was inclined to agree. According to the information on the screen, Xiangke Magician, Performapal Bubblebowwow, and Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon were all High-Level Monsters and being able to Summon all of them at the same time did seem quite overpowered.

"Wa~ah! No way! All those Monsters!" Leo shouted, obviously feeling the same way as Tim and me.

Luna simply flipped a card over. "I activate Bottomless Trap Hole. This card Banishes any Monsters Summoned with fifteen-hundred Attack Points or more, and since you Summoned all those Monsters at the same time, they all get Banished."

"What?!" Yuya shouted, a pitfall opening up underneath his Monsters as they all fell in. "N-no way! My Pendulum Summon…" Yuya muttered, his arms shaking. I watched him reach up and pull on his goggles so that they covered his eyes.

Zuzu turned to Yuya, letting out a little gasp. "Yuya…!"

For Yuya's move to have been brought to a halt by a single Trap Card, maybe Pendulum Summoning wasn't as broken as I first thought.

Yuya's empty hand shook just a little before he pulled his goggles up. "I've still got Zuzu's Opera the Melodious Diva on the field! So, I'll enter my Battle Phase and attack your Set Monster!" Zuzu's Monster put its hands together and sang a single note, Luna's Set Monster [The Little Swordsman of Aile: DEF: 1300] getting flipped up and then easily destroyed. "Now I end my turn."

Leo drew quickly. "I Normal Summon Morphtronic Videon!" he shouted as I recalled my Duel with the twins against Lester, the transformative video camera appearing on Leo's field as it posed [ATK: 1000]. "Then I'll equip my Videon with two Spell Cards – Morphtronic Master Arm and Pile Arm!" Both of Videon's arms changed, becoming sleeker and shinier. Its left looked as though it had a spear attached to it, while its right had been fitted with a clawed gauntlet. "These cards give my Morphtronic Videon a combined eight hundred extra Attack Points, and then, thanks to Videon's effect, he gains sixteen-hundred _more_ Attack Points – eight hundred for each card equipped to it!" [Morphtronic Videon: ATK: 3400].

"Hey, that's pretty good…!" Tim muttered.

"Now it's time… for my Battle Phase! Videon, _attack_!" Leo shouted, his Monster charging forward and impaling Zuzu's Monster with its Pile Arm.

[Yuya & Zuzu: 7450 LP]

"Huh? Shouldn't it do more?" Leo asked. I had the same question.

Luna sighed. "My Field Spell cuts all battle damage in half."

"Aw _man_!" Leo stamped one of his feet on the ground. "Luna, you _totally_ screwed that up for me!"

" _Excuse_ me…?" Luna asked softly, her cold, sharp tone cutting through the air as Zuzu drew.

"Okay, I activate the Spell Card Slow Tempo! As long as this card is in play, none of our Monsters will be able to attack on the turn they're Summoned. Next, I activate the effect of Solo the Melodious Songstress from my hand: if we don't control any Monsters on our field, I can Special Summon her from my hand!" a pink-skinned woman in a red tutu jumped down onto the field, twirling around as she hummed to herself [DEF: 1000]. "And now that I have a Melodious Monster out, I can activate the effect of Canon the Melodious Diva, and Special Summon _her_ to the field as well!" a similar-looking Monster appeared beside Solo, this one blue-skinned and wearing a purple outfit [DEF: 2000]. "Lastly, I reveal my Trap Card, Musical Mayhem! This card inflicts eight hundred damage for each face-up Melodious Monster I control, and since I control two, you lose sixteen hundred Life Points!"

A bolt of green light shot out from Zuzu's Trap, hitting Leo in the chest.

[Leo & Luna: 6400 LP]

"Wait a second! Shouldn't our damage be halved?!" Leo shouted.

" _Battle_ damage, Leo! Fairy Tale Prologue: Journey's Dawn halves all _battle_ damage! The card she used inflicts _effect_ damage!" Luna stated.

"Oh…" Leo muttered sheepishly.

"Jeez, Leo…" Luna sighed, sounding more and more exasperated.

"I end my turn."

Luna drew. "At my Standby Phase, the second effect of my Field Spell activates! By sending it to the Graveyard, the page turns to a new chapter, and I can activate Fairy Tale Chapter 2: Seething Sun from my Deck!" the second sun sitting high in the sky above the twins quickly changed its expression, its eyes becoming wider and a vein appearing on its head. "Next I activate the Spell Card Double Summon. This turn, I'm allowed an additional Normal Summon or Set, so first, I'll Tribute Morphtronic Videon to Summon Ancient One of the Deep Forest!" Leo's Monster disappeared, and in its place stood a considerably weaker demonic-looking white goat [ATK: 1800].

" _Lu~na_! What are you _doing_?!" Leo protested.

" _Winning_. Next, I'll use my additional Normal Summon, and Summon Angel Trumpeter as well!" a beautiful-looking flower appeared in front of Luna, spraying a dark mist across the Duel Field [ATK: 1900]. "And now… I tune my Level four Angel Trumpeter to my Level six Ancient One!" Luna's Monsters floated into the sky, the light from the Seething Sun breaking through the dark mist as the two Monsters came together. "Remnants of darkness breathe life into the weak and tattered form of a protector! Let your spirit be renewed and stain the forest in their blood! Synchro Summon! Leo, the Keeper of the Sacred Tree!" a massive beast clad in lswarm armor dropped down onto Luna's field with a blood-curdling roar [ATK: 3100]. "See, Leo? He's just like you! Not only has he got the same _name_ as you, but he's also braindead and _ignorant_!"

" _I'm_ ignorant! What about you?! Your Monster can't attack on the turn its Summoned, and mine _could_!"

Luna sighed once more, revealing a Mystical Space Typhoon in her hand, a cyclone sweeping away Zuzu's Slow Tempo. "Honestly, Leo, just shut up and leave things to me. Now, I'll enter my Battle Phase and attack your Canon!" Zuzu's Canon didn't stand a chance as Luna's Monster leaped at the poor girl, ripping her to shreds, Luna smiling almost gleefully. "I end my turn."

Yuya drew. "I activate the powers of my Performapal Gumgumouton and Xiangsheng Magician, and Pendulum Summon once more!" Another portal opened up on Yuya's field, this one much smaller than the last, and only a single stream of light came through. "Come forth, my Monster! Timebreaker Magician!" a young cape-wearing swordsman broke out from the light, clutching his sword feverishly and staring down Luna's Monster [ATK: 1400].

" _Really_?" Luna asked.

"You'd better believe it! My Timebreaker Magician has an effect that allows me to Banish him _and_ one other Monster on the field, and both Monsters will remain Banished until Zuzu's turn!"

"You know, I think you and Leo would get along well. You're _both_ egg-headed. My Monster can't be targeted by card effects outside of Main Phase 2." Luna sounded rather unimpressed with Yuya.

Yuya smiled. "Zuzu, can I…?"

The pink-haired girl nodded. "Go for it, Yuya!"

"Alright, I activate Zuzu's face-down, Broken Spotlight!" Zuzu's Trap Card opened out, a flickering spotlight appearing underneath Luna's Monster. "This card negates the effects of all Monsters you control until the End Phase of the turn, which means your Keeper of the Sacred Tree is free to be Banished along with my Timebreaker Magician!"

Timebreaker Magician raised his sword into the air as a blinding light came forth, himself and Luna's Monster vanishing from the field. "N-no…" Luna muttered.

"Next, I switch Solo the Melodious Songstress to Attack Position, enter my Battle Phase, and attack your Life Points directly!" Luna's eyes widened as Solo quickly changed her Battle Position [ATK: 1600], brought her hands together and sang a single note like Opera had done, Luna getting knocked off her feet from the shockwave.

[Leo & Luna: 3200 LP]

"Easy…" Tim cautioned, glancing over at me. "Don't get worked up. That's not your Luna."

"I-I-I know…" I muttered.

"…You'll _pay_ for that!" Luna screeched, turning to her brother with a twisted expression. "Le~eo… how could you let them hurt your dear sister like that?"

"I-I-I'm sorry, Luna." Leo apologized.

"You know what to do now, don't you?" she asked softly. "Wash the stadium in their blood. That's a fair trade for them raising their hand to me, isn't it?"

"Y-yes, Luna…" Leo stammered.

"Then… _do it_!"

"Right!" Leo drew, "I Normal Summon Morphtronic Boomboxen!" Leo threw his arm forward, a stereo appearing on his field, the device quickly shifting and unhinging, become biped [ATK: 1200]. "Then I'll equip it with the Equip Spell, Megamorph, doubling its Attack Points!" Leo's Boomboxen doubled in size [ATK: 2400]. "Now I enter my Battle Phase and attack your Solo with my Boomboxen!"

Leo's Monster rushed forward, crushing Zuzu's beneath its feet.

[Yuya & Zuzu: 5850 LP]

"My Morphtronic Boomboxen lets me attack a second time each Battle Phase! Go, Morphtronic Boomboxen!" Leo shouted, his Monster charging at Zuzu.

"N-no way!" Zuzu gasped, Yuya pushing Zuzu out of the way and taking the hit in exchange, the poor boy getting knocked around like a ragdoll.

[Yuya & Zuzu: 1050 LP]

"Yuya!" Zuzu shouted, rushing to her partner's side.

"Oh, my _goodness_!" Melissa shouted in horror, having been uncharacteristically quiet for almost the whole Duel.

"If you haven't figured it out by now, Fairy Tale Chapter 2: Seething Sun doubles all battle damage." Luna smiled a slasher smile before turning to her twin. "That was… well-done of you, Leo. I mean, I would have preferred it if you had have beaten them this turn, but considering how pathetic you've been, I suppose that was probably asking too much."

"Uh… thank you?"

"No problem, Leo." Luna smiled. "Don't forget though, now we have more Life Points than them, so your Monster's Attack Points get cut in half from their Original Attack." Luna explained, Leo's Morphtronic Boomboxen shrinking in size [ATK: 600].

"O-oh, right… I-I end my turn…!" Leo said sheepishly.

"Yuya…" Zuzu breathed, helping him to his feet.

"Zuzu… you're alright, aren't you…?" Yuya winced.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She smiled. "Can you stand?"

Yuya nodded and Zuzu exhaled, drawing.

"Uh-uh~, before you do anything, don't forget that my Monster returns to the field along with yours!" Luna jeered, both hers and Yuya's Monsters reappearing on the field [Leo, the Keeper of the Sacred Tree: ATK: 3100] [Timebreaker Magician: ATK: 1400].

"That's okay," Zuzu said softly, taking one of Yuya's hands in hers. "You can have as many Monsters on the field as you like – it doesn't matter, 'cause when Yuya and I team up, we're unstoppable! Because… the fun is just getting started!"

"Zuzu…" Yuya muttered.

"I call on the powers of Yuya's Performapal Gumgumouton and Xiangsheng Magician, and Pendulum Summon a Monster of my _own_ to the field!"

"Wait, so you can Pendulum Summon using your _partner's_ Monsters?" Tim asked.

"Come forth! Shopina the Melodious Maestra!" Zuzu shouted, purple light finding its way through a portal and onto Zuzu's field, another of Zuzu's fancy-looking fairies standing across from the twins [ATK: 2300].

"She's not strong enough to take down Luna's Keeper of the Sacred Tree!" Leo huffed, poking his tongue out at Zuzu.

"Leo, you idiot! She's not going to attack _my_ Monster! She's going to attack _yours_!"

"That's right! Now it's battle time!" Zuzu shouted. "Shopina, attack Morphtronic Boomboxen!"

"Leo, do something! Quick!" Luna snapped, but there was nothing her twin brother could do except brace himself as Shopina played out a brief little melody on her illusory piano, Leo's Monster shattering like glass.

[Leo & Luna: 0 LP]

"I-it's… it's over!" Melissa hyped. "The winners are Yuya Sakaki and Zuzu Boyle!" the MC shouted, the crowd erupting with applause.

"That was pretty close, hey? You know, for a moment there, I thought the twins might win." Tim told me.

"Y-yeah… me too…" I muttered. In a way, I was relieved that this Leo and Luna lost, because it meant that I didn't have to – or wouldn't – worry about having to face them in the tournament. Of course, them losing meant that they'd be shipped off to the Commons area and made to work at the recycling plant, and I wasn't sure what to think of that.

What I _was_ sure of though, were my feelings for Luna. Seeing Leo and Luna in that Duel made me realize how lucky I was to have known the Luna in my Dimension. And while I may have pushed her away, I wasn't going to give her up without a fight.

"Hey," Tim spoke softly. I turned to him and he met me with a smile. "Two down, two to go…"


	11. The Red Room

I awoke to a sickening feeling in my stomach, having obviously overindulged in the food I'd had the night before. It was the first time since arriving at the hotel that I'd actually had a good night's sleep, which was incredibly surprising considering what had happened with Slade. And even with that aside, usually, I would have been restless, thinking about the tournament or Luna, and while I did do a little bit of that, I must have fallen asleep at some point, but I couldn't recall when.

I rolled over onto my side and exhaled, Apple Magician Girl appearing beside me, a warm, gentle smile on her face.

"Good morning, Tyler," she greeted, "did you sleep well?"

"Mhm… morning Fizdis…" I mumbled. "What time is it…?"

"Don't worry. You've still got a few hours before your Duel today…" she cooed.

My eyes veered to Tim's bed and I realized it was empty. I sat up. "Tim?" I called out.

"Tyler, it's okay-"

"Wh-wh-where's Tim?" The day had just started, and I'd already stuttered. _Great_. "H-he was saying last night th-that he wanted us to be together at all times, after what happened w-w-w-with Slade-"

"I know, he… told me all about it." Apple Magician Girl spoke slowly.

I turned to her. "You spoke to him?"

"He talked and I listened."

"Could you… was there no way that he could have seen you?" I asked, unsure of how the whole 'communicating with Duel Spirits' thing actually worked, outside of Luna and I being able to see them.

"Not everyone can see Duel Spirits, Tyler. Even if a human wants to see a Duel Spirit, and the spirit is perfectly comfortable with revealing themselves to them, sometimes it just doesn't happen." Apple Magician Girl turned away. "He could tell I was there, but he couldn't see me, and…"

"And what?" I asked softly.

Apple Magician Girl turned back to me and came close, her voice wavering. "I-I've been trying to think of a way to tell you this. Ever since I first saw him, I've been able to sense this presence. There's something there with him. I can feel it. It's faint, but… dark. Unbelievably dark."

"Yeah?"

Apple Magician Girl nodded. "I haven't felt anything like it since…" she shook her head. "Not important. I just don't want anything bad to happen to you, that's all."

I smiled. "I appreciate the concern, Fizdis, I really do, but I think that if Tim was going to do anything bad to me, he would have done it by now."

"It's not him, Tyler, it's…" Apple Magician Girl sighed. "I don't want to worry you, and I'm still not completely sure of things myself, but… just be careful, okay?"

"Okay-"

"A-and whatever you do, don't talk to him about it. I'm not entirely sure how much of it is, um… sentient…"

"Y-you mean… whatever's there with Tim could potentially be l-l-l-listening in on us…?" I asked softly, Apple Magician Girl nodding.

"Again, I… I don't know for sure, but I'd rather not risk anything until I know that you're safe."

"Yeah, that's a good idea. Tim's been pretty quiet regarding himself anyway. I still don't really know all that much about him, and I've told him all… all this personal stuff…" I exhaled, my lips starting to tremble as I felt a stutter coming. "B-b-b-b-but I guess it's good to talk about things. That's what _normal_ people do, hey? Instead of bottling things up, they… they actually function as real people. I don't really mind if some dark presence is l-l-l-listening in. I tend to put my foot in my mouth anyway regardless, so wh-what does it matter?"

Apple Magician Girl looked at me with a warm, assuring smile. "You _are_ normal."

"Well, not _really_. I can barely speak half the time."

"Don't talk like that." Her tone was gentle, but I could tell her statement was serious.

"I know, I know," I cautioned. "I have to stop thinking like that. I know. Th-there are p…people with far more deb… deb…" I sighed, " _fuck_ …" I whispered.

"It's alright, sweetie. Take your time."

"I can feel it. It's right fucking here!" I snapped, forcing a hand to my chest. "Deb…debilitate. Far more debilitating things than a speech impediment. That's all I wanted to… say…" I shook my head. "A-a-a-and I kn-know there's more important things to worry about at the moment anyway, like the tournament. Speaking of which, there was something I wanted to… ask you."

"Of course. You can ask me anything, sweetheart. And please, don't rush yourself."

"Well… Tim and I are Dueling Sesu and Tony today, a-a-and they were friends of… the other Tyler, right? I-I-I was just wondering… w-were they good friends… to him? I'd hate for him to have, you know, 'cause he… he couldn't hear you anymore… it would have sucked if he was alone."

"He was never alone, Tyler, even if he couldn't hear me. I was always there. Some nights I wish I wasn't. I couldn't bear to listen to him, the poor thing. I wish I could have done more." Apple Magician Girl looked deep into my eyes. "That's why I'm so glad I have you…" her eyes averted mine for a moment. "But the other Tyler, he… he was very lucky… yes, they were… they were very good to him… Not just Tony and Sesu, but Crow and Shinji as well, they were like family to him. The family that he always wanted, but it wasn't enough. Not everyone's kind, and he knew that, you know that, from experience, but the other Tyler was very reserved, he shut everyone else out. After what happened with Kobi, Crow was the first person who got through to him, which is probably why it hurt him so much when he found out that you weren't him…"

"Damn…" I sighed. "Damn, damn, damn…" As if I already wasn't feeling bad enough about Crow, what Apple Magician Girl said had made me feel terrible. And what was even worse was that Crow and Shinji had lost their Duel against Celina and Yugo, which meant they'd no doubt been sent back to The Facility, and there wasn't anything I could do. I sighed once more. "What about before all of that? Before Kobi, before Joel, was he happy? The other Tyler?"

Apple Magician Girl nodded, a passive smile forming on her face. "He used to sing songs with this boy, Taze."

"Taze Cameron?" I asked.

"Ah, that's right. You probably did the same thing, didn't you, sweetheart?"

"Yeah… a little bit…" I mumbled. "Did _your_ Tyler suck as much as _I_ did?" I asked with a sheepish grin.

"He enjoyed it. And I thought he had a beautiful voice."

"That was probably _before_ puberty though, right? Before his voice… mine, his, broke?"

"He never really sang after Daisuke… passed away…"

"Yeah, that sounds about right…" I muttered, recalling very much doing the same thing, which was probably a good thing for everyone around me. I did enjoy it growing up, but I hated hearing myself. I remember the first time I heard myself sing, I cried. I thought I sounded terrible. I would have enjoyed singing with Taze more if I'd remembered I'd done it. I mostly only did it with him after the whole Dark Signers thing because it was something he really wanted. "He never met up with Taze again, did he…? He never got brainwashed… never had amnesia…"

"No, he… he never…" Apple Magician Girl trailed off.

I licked my lips. "Wow…" I sighed. "It just amazes me, that's all. How… how similar and yet how different our lives are… w-were… So many things are just the same. You're telling me what he did and how he felt, and I remember experiencing the exact same thing, but then somewhere along the line… things just turned out differently… he died… and I lived…" I exhaled shakily. "This is all just so…"

"I'm sorry if I upset you-"

"No, y-y-y-you didn't. Besides, I asked the question. I'm sorry if anything I say or ask _you_ is, you know, too much… honestly, if I didn't have a fucking stutter, I feel like I could talk to you for hours about this stuff. It probably _would_ take me hours…" I chuckled, but because it was sad rather than funny.

"You can always talk to me. I was there for the other Tyler, and I'll _always_ be here for you…"

"Well… um, okay, there is one other thing…" I muttered.

"Mhm?"

"I-i-it's not important, b-but… what kind of music was he into? 'cause when I was a kid, I was like, _really_ into Shania Twain, like _really_ into her. In fact, I'm pretty sure she was my first celebrity crush."

Apple Magician Girl giggled. "Well, um… the other Tyler really liked listening to ABBA."

"Aww, that's cute. Good on him." I smiled. Eagle was a good song.

I quickly turned to the door as I heard the handle rattle, the door swinging open as Tim pranced in.

"Mornin', fellow _wadjela_." Tim beamed. " _You_ are lookin' at the newest and bestest Lancer." He said proudly. "Don't really know what it means, but I hope I get to lance some'hing. Red told you I left, right?"

I turned to Apple Magician Girl and smiled. "Yeah, she did."

"Good." He then shouted to the room, "Thanks, Red!" Tim turned his attention back to me. "Anyway, Dookie Scarf-guy told me that he was impressed with my Dueling ability, as he put it, especially since I'd only started playing recently. And he said that you told him about what I said about how I'm happy to help fight against Duel Academy. He _also_ was sincerely sorry that you got mixed up in what happened with Slade. Mokubro's promised extra security so that stuff like that won't happen again. Also, everything's good with the boat. It turns out the boat operates using resonant frequencies. Of course, we'll still need the crystal ball to actually _power_ the boat, but at least now I know how it works, so gettin' you home shouldn't be a problem."

"Wh-what about your part in the Lancers?"

"Yeah, I'm still gonna do that, o'course. That's why I joined. Those interdimensional terrorists have to pay for what they tried to do to you, but I'm still gonna take you home before all that." Tim smiled. I must have looked like my mind was elsewhere, because Tim tilted his head and asked "Is somethin' wrong?"

"Uh… It's just…" I glanced at Apple Magician Girl. I trusted her. I had no reason _not_ to. So of course I couldn't say anything, if there _was_ some other presence there listening in, and Tim didn't know about it. "We could have been Dueling the twins today…" I mumbled, racking my brain for something that I could have been conceivably worried about. And to be honest, part of me was worried for the twins. Even though they weren't mine, there's no way I could have Dueled against them, and it sucked that they'd most likely been forced into labor in the Commons. I mean, they might have been a little psychotic, but they were kids, and kids didn't deserve to get sentenced to labor for life, especially when there was no real logical reason behind it.

Tim shook his head but never lost his smile. "I'll tell ya what I told Forrest Whitaker Gump: white chocolate's fine when you're a kid, but once you grow up and realize it's not _real_ chocolate, you're gonna wanna try the dark stuff."

"Right…"

Another one of Tim's random statements.

"Oh yeah! You know what _I_ realized? It hasn't even been a _month_ since we met." Tim told me.

"Huh…" I scratched the back of my head, "for some reason, it's felt like way longer than that…"

"I hear ya. For the first six years I taught at my school, it felt like only seven months had gone by." Tim shook his head.

"Of course that's just one month on top of the _other_ six months that I didn't see my friends for." I sighed. "I have to-"

"'You have to get back', I know. That's what we've been _tryin_ ' to do ever since we _got_ here. You don't need to keep goin' on about it. Besides, even best friends can grow apart. You see 'em less and less as time goes on, and before too long… that's it. The people who are like your second family are gone. I've met countless people over the years, had incredible once in a lifetime experiences with all of them, and now… poof. The only ones I've _really_ kept in touch with are the kids I used to teach. Everyone else I just drifted apart from, and I mean honestly, if you have to force a friendship, if you have to move Heaven and Hell for people to like you or respect you or forgive you, it's not worth it."

"I didn't just 'grow apart' from my friends, I pushed them away! I had ample opportunity to go and visit them, or call or text, or email, Facebook, whatever, but I didn't do any of that. I just sat there for six months feeling sorry for myself wondering when _someone else_ was going to contact _me_."

"We could go on like this for hours. In fact, I'm pretty sure we _have_ gone over this for hours. And going over it _again_ isn't gonna do anything for either of us."

"R-r-right, right…" I stammered, closing my eyes, "push it out, and just focus on what needs to be done."

" _Now_ you're gettin' it!" Tim grinned. "Anyway, things are pretty by the numbers at this point. If we win the next two Duels, which, who are we kidding? _Of course_ we will, then we'll be able to Duel that Atlantis guy in the finals and get the boat back. Easy." Tim smiled. "I just feel bad for everyone else. Having us Duel first each round means every other Duel will just look crap by comparison. I mean, how can you top _Exodia_?"

"I don't know, Tim. Yuya and Zuzu's Duel with the twins was pretty good, and we only won our Duel against Gong and Vokah because of… w-w-w-whatever the Hell that was…"

Tim shook his head. "Doesn't matter who we go up against, we'll win. Trust me, the outcome of this whole thing was decided the moment the tournament began. Now come on, Young Terror," Tim ushered, "we should have a few practice Duels before our game today."

"Good idea." I said to him, Apple Magician Girl's spirit silently observing the two of us, though looking over at Tim with concern.

* * *

You'd have thought by now I'd have gotten used to the crowd and overall environment at the stadium.

No.

I wished that was the case, and that obviously had to be why Melissa Trail was so warm and friendly all the time. Apart from it having to look exciting and engaging for the viewers, she obviously thought it'd help relax the contestants as well. It probably did all the others, but not me. The further along in the tournament we got, the more I felt the pressure get to me, and the sense of urgency grip at every fiber of my being.

I had to admit the whole thing was feeling quite monotonous. Back when I'd had my job at the Library, my schedule was more or less wake up, go to work, come home, go to bed, wake up and repeat. This time it was wake up, _Duel_ , go to bed and repeat. But this, much more so than my job, was all for a purpose. I had to stick it out, for my sake _and_ Tim's. I had to see my friends again. I had to make things right.

"Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the second-last day of the Friendship Tag Cup!" Melissa greeted, sounding as cheerful as ever. "There are four teams left, and only two will make it to the finals where tomorrow, they'll face each other and be given the chance to challenge our champion, Jack Atlas! Let's give our first two teams a round of applause!"

A cascade of cheers erupted from the stands as I shivered, Tim soaking it all up.

At least he was enjoying himself.

We were good, I assured myself. Well, maybe not _me_ , but _Tim_ was. Regardless, the fact was that we made it this far. Two Duels left before we'd face Jack Atlas.

" _First_ , the duo that put on an absolutely _fantastic_ performance in their last Duel, Summoning Exodia the Forbidden One, Tyler 'the Terror' Nochi and _Tim Ihansha_!"

"And second, Tony Zomboni and Sesu Lomakkia! Will they be able to overcome the strength of Exodia?"

"Th-the commentary's become a little bit skewed…" I noted.

"Can you blame her?" Tim shrugged.

"Hey, Tyler, good to see you again." Sesu smiled across from Tim and me.

Tony nodded. "It's just a shame we have to meet up again in a place like this…" he muttered.

"Y-y-y-y-yeah…" I stuttered. It was obvious they, like Crow and the others had before, believed that I was _their_ Tyler, and that they hadn't spoken with Crow or Shinji yet. I sighed. It wasn't the time or the place to tell them otherwise.

"And hey, no matter what happens, no hard feelings, okay?" Sesu smiled, looking to his partner who nodded once more.

" _Duel_!"

[Tim & Tyler: 8000 LP]  
[Sesu & Tony: 8000 LP]

"I'll start!" Tony shouted, "I Set one Monster face-down, and then Set two cards face-down. I end my turn."

Tim drew from his Deck, looking over the cards he had in his hand as though he seemed to be pondering something. "Alright, _I'll_ Set a card, and then Set a Monster. And _that_ will do it for me."

I could tell Tim was becoming more confident in his plays, which was a really good sign. I sighed, recalling that I used to be like that, with Devack, Roman, Lazar and Lester, even though I couldn't do crap against Lester. Part of me wanted to be like that again, confident, but I knew there was no point in even projecting confidence if I didn't have the skills to back it up, and our previous Duels in the tournament proved I had nothing to be cocky or confident about.

"My turn!" Sesu drew, "I Summon Paladin of the Cursed Dragon in Attack Position!" he shouted, an armored warrior astride the corpse of a rotting dragon taking the field [ATK: 1900]. "Attack!"

Tim's Set Sangan [DEF: 600] was impaled by the Paladin's lance. Tim smiled. " _Nice_. _That's_ the kind of lance _I_ want. But now that Sangan's been destroyed, I get to add a Monster with fifteen hundred Attack Points or less to my hand from my Deck." Tim's Deck shuffled a card to the top which he drew, revealing to Sesu, Tony and I the Left Leg of the Forbidden One, before adding it to his hand.

Tony and Sesu glanced at each other before Sesu shrugged. "That's fine. I place one card face-down and end my turn."

I drew. "I-I activate the Spell Card F-F-Foolish Burial, which lets me send a Monster from my Deck to the Graveyard." I tapped away at my screen, selecting Time Wizard as the target of Foolish Burial's effect as it was ejected from my Deck and I placed it into the Graveyard. "Next, I Banish Sangan and Time Wizard from the Graveyard to Special Summon Chaos Sorcerer!" Sangan and Time Wizard briefly re-appeared on the field, only to become respective spheres of light and darkness, merging together as a mighty magician clad in iron and leather took the field [ATK: 2300]. "Now, I enter my Battle Phase and attack your Paladin with my Chaos Sorcerer."

Chaos Sorcerer formed two balls of energy in each of his hands, one white magic, the other black magic, before bringing his hands together and combining them, a pulsating sphere of chaos energy resonating between his hands. With a smirk, Chaos Sorcerer threw the ball of energy at Sesu's Monster, Paladin of the Cursed Dragon vanishing from the field.

[Sesu & Tony: 7600 LP]

"Nice, Tyler, I didn't even know you had that card." Sesu sounded surprised.

"Th-thanks… I Set two cards and end my turn." I smiled, sliding Magic Cylinder and Call of the Haunted into play.

Tony drew. "I play Monster Reborn to revive Sesu's Paladin of the Cursed Dragon from the Graveyard!" he shouted, Sesu's Monster returning to the field [ATK: 1900]. "Next, I Flip Summon my Pyramid Turtle!" a large turtle wearing an Egyptian headdress and carrying a pyramid on its back appeared on Tony's field [ATK: 1200]. "And now, I Normal Summon Pain Painter!" my eyes widened as a destressed-looking overall-wearing zombie painter appeared on Tony's field [ATK: 400]. " _Alright_!" Tony cheered. "I activate my Pain Painter's effect! Not only is he treated as Plaguespreader Zombie, but once per turn I can also Target two other Zombies out on my field and decrease their Levels to two!"

[Paladin of the Cursed Dragon: LV: 2] [Pyramid Turtle: LV: 2]

"Why would you do that?" Tim asked.

"Because _now_!" Tony hyped, "I can Synchro Summon! Level two Pain Painter tunes with Pyramid Turtle and Paladin of the Cursed Dragon! The ground twists and breaks to give rise to power as the stench of death takes its hold on Earth! I Synchro Summon Archfiend Zombie-Skull!" the three Zombie Monsters disappeared, turning into stars as a pillar of purple light erupted from the ground. When the light cleared, a massive winged demon stood in its place [ATK: 2500]. "Archfiend Zombie-Skull, attack!"

I threw my hand out. "I play my Trap Card, Magic Cylinder! This card-"

"I chain Trap Jammer, negating Magic Cylinder!" Tony countered. My eyes widened as my Chaos Sorcerer was sliced in half by Archfiend Zombie-Skull's massive claws.

[Tim & Tyler: 7800 LP]

"Damn…!" I muttered, realizing I should've used Chaos Sorcerer's effect to Banish Paladin when I had the chance. "Th-that was a really good move." I had to praise Tony. "I w-w-w-wasn't expecting that…"

"You think _that's_ good? You haven't seen _anything_ yet. I end my turn."

Tim yawned, drawing as he mulled over the cards in his hand. "Hey, uh, Tyler… I've got a little bit of a dilemma. My hand is just full of Exodia pieces. Like, literally nothing else. What do I do?"

I turned to Tim. "Maybe don't announce what you've got in your hand."

"Don't be cheeky." He glared at me.

I sighed. "Sorry, just… we've been over this… use one of the duplicates to protect us."

"Oh yeah, good idea." Tim smiled, turning back to our opponents. "I Summon Exodia the Forbidden One in Attack Position." Tim said, placing the card down as I nearly choked on my own heart.

"What? What?! _What_?!" I shouted, the lone head of Exodia appearing on Tim's field [ATK: 1000]. "That's not what you're supposed to do! You're supposed to _Set_ him! You've been doing that the whole time! You did that _today_! How could you mess that up?!"

"Alright, alright," Tim sighed, "keep your pants on. Jeez, I'll Set him then-"

"No, you can't just redo a move. We'll take two thousand Life Points of damage as penalty if you change the battle position of a Monster after you've already played it."

" _Sorry_ , I just blanked. I had an extra head and it got me thinkin' about this one time where I mushed-"

"Do you not understand-"

"Hey!" Tim shouted, pointing a finger at me. " _Don't_ interrupt me, alright? No more o' that."

"Sorry, but _I'm_ gonna have to interrupt." I heard Tony say, turning to him. "I reveal my face-down Chain Destruction, forcing you to destroy all copies of Exodia the Forbidden One in your hand and Deck." An iron chain whipped past me and struck Tim's hand and Deck, two copies of Exodia's head falling to the ground. Tim grunted, picking them up and sliding them into the Graveyard.

"Well damn. He just defeated Exodia." Tim said simply, not sounding the least bit upset or irritated, which only irritated _me_ further.

"Just end your turn!" I snapped. "Y-you can use Monster Reincarnation to get one of the heads back by trading in another spare."

"Wow, okay, fine. Your time of the month or somethin'?" Tim sighed once more, Sesu drawing from his Deck.

"I activate the Continuous Spell, Card of Safe Return!" he shouted. "With this card out, we get to draw a card each time a Monster is Special Summoned from our Graveyard. Next I Set a Monster in Defense Position, and now I'll enter my Battle Phase and attack your Exodia head with Archfiend Zombie-Skull!"

I braced myself as the undead Synchro Monster's claws ripped through Exodia's head like a hot knife through butter. Tim however wasn't at all phased.

[Tim & Tyler: 6300 LP]

"I end my turn."

I sighed, drawing.

It was clear to me that I'd overestimated Tim's skill. Sure, the pressure was intense, but even I wouldn't have made a mistake like that, and I was, after all, well, retarded.

I shook my head. I had the choice of either waiting and hoping for Tim to play Monster Reincarnation and return one of the heads to his hand – forcing me to wait and potentially screwing me over – or just go for it with everything I had.

I tensed my free hand, encased in the gauntlet. "I play my face-down Call of the Haunted, allowing me to bring back Chaos Sorcerer from the Graveyard!" in a flash of black and white, my magician returned to the field [ATK: 2300]. "Next, because our combined Graveyard contains exactly three Dark Attribute Monsters, I can call Dark Armed Dragon to the field!" The three heads of Exodia rose up out of the Graveyard, turning into three orbs of dark energy, blackness raining down on the field as a distorted version of Joel's ace Monster appeared on my field, roaring angrily [ATK: 2800]. "Next, I play Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your face-down card!" I shouted, a cyclone blowing away Sesu's Set card, Magical Arm Shield.

"Shoot…!" Sesu shouted.

"Now, I play my Chaos Sorcerer's effect, Banishing your Archfiend Zombie-Skull!" My Chaos Sorcerer's hands crackled with power as he unleashed a wave of energy that zapped Tony's Synchro Monster out of play. "I enter my Battle Phase… and attack your Set Monster with Dark Armed Dragon!"

My dragon's tail whipped forward, Sesu's Set Monster, Spirit Reaper [DEF: 200], flipping up and unfortunately withstanding the attack. I groaned.

"Hey, what gives?! Shouldn't your Monster be dead?" Tim asked.

I turned to him. "Spirit Reaper can't be destroyed by battle." I explained. "But that's okay. On y-your turn, you can use my Chaos Sorcerer's effect to Banish him instead of attacking. Can you do that?" I asked. Tim nodded. "Good. I'll Set a card and end my turn."

"My turn now!" Tony shouted, drawing. "I'll Set a card and end my turn as well."

"Alright, let's do this!" Tim drew. "I play Pot of Greed, which lets me draw two cards from my Deck." The Pot of Greed appeared on the field and Tim drew twice. "Next, I play Shard of Greed." A fragment of the Pot of Greed appeared on Tim's field. "Now, over our next two Draw Phases, if we draw, we get to add a Greed Counter to the Shard, and when Shard of Greed has two Greed Counters, I can send it to the Graveyard to draw two _more_ cards."

"Draw as many cards as you want!" Tony taunted. "It's not going to do anything!"

Tim shrugged. "I Summon Witch of the Black Forest in Attack Position!" the violet-haired witch appeared on Tim's field [ATK: 1100]. "Now, I play Chaos Sorcerer's effect, Banishing your Spirit Reaper!" Sesu's Spirit Reaper vanished, leaving our opponents' field empty. "Okay, time for battle! I attack with Dark Armed Dragon and Witch of the Black Forest!"

Dark Armed Dragon roared, throwing a black fireball at Tony from its maw. Tim's witch followed suit, muttering incantations as purple light struck Tony in the chest.

[Sesu & Tony: 3700 LP]

"Hey, hey, looks like we've got this!" Tim smiled.

"Don't count us out just yet…!" Sesu said, drawing. "I play the Spell Card Shrink, which lets me cut the Attack Points of a Monster in half! So I'll cut your Dark Armed Dragon down to size!" My eyes widened as Dark Armed Dragon shrank, just as Sesu's Spell Card suggested [Dark Armed Dragon: ATK: 1400]. "Next, I Summon Getsu Fuhma!"

"Not so fast!" I shouted. "Tim, my trap!"

"Oh yeah, good call." Tim flipped over my Trap Card. "I play Bottomless Trap Hole, destroying and Banishing your warrior!" Before Sesu's Monster could even touch down on the field, the warrior fell through the pitfall only for it to be immediately closed after.

Sesu groaned and twitched. "Um… alright… how 'bout this?! I play the Spell Card Soul Taker…! This card destroys a Monster you control, but then you gain a thousand Life Points…!"

I watched as my Dark Armed Dragon started to convulse, its chest glowing as its soul was ripped from its body, crumbling away to dust.

[Tim & Tyler: 7300 LP]

Sesu sighed. "That's… that's all I can do… I end my turn…"

I drew from my Deck. "Alright, since I've drawn a card, we get to add a Greed Counter to Shard of Greed." [Greed Counter: 1]. "Next, I Summon Apprentice Magician in Attack Position!" the magician-in-training appeared on my field, staff poised [ATK: 400]. "A-and now, I move to my Battle Phase, and attack you directly with all _three_ of our Monsters."

Retrospectively, it was probably overkill to have attacked with Apprentice Magician along with both Witch of the Black Forest _and_ Dark Armed Dragon, especially as the former wasn't at all necessary to win, but I figured with the caliber of opponents we'd been facing that there was always the chance that Sesu could have had a hand trap to nullify damage and save him from losing. As it turned out though, he didn't, and Sesu ended up taking the brunt of all our Monsters' attacks.

[Sesu & Tony: 0 LP]

"Tyler Nochi and Tim Ihansha are the _winners_!" Melissa cheered.

Tim raised his hands into the air as the crowd once again erupted into a sea of cheers and I found myself smiling. I wasn't even really happy that we won, I was just happy I was actually able to _do_ something, instead of leaving it all to Tim. Of course, this time, if I had have left it to Tim, there's a good chance we would have lost, not to toot my own horn or say I was the reason we won or anything. Besides, I couldn't be happy that we won. Beating Tony and Sesu meant that they'd end up sent to the labor facility in the Commons.

I found myself mutter "I-I'm sorry…"

Sesu shook his head, closing some of the distance between us. "Don't be. It was either you guys or us. Just… if you're going to lose, lose your _next_ Duel. Don't give Jack the satisfaction of beating you…" Sesu smiled weakly, KC Guards approaching the Duel Field. One of them stopped at Sesu and Tony's side, while the other stopped at Tim's and mine. "It was great seeing you again, Tyler…"

"Yeah… you too…" I muttered, the KC Guard escorting him and Tony away from the Duel Field.

"Mr. Ihansha, Mr. Nochi," our KC Guard bowed to us.

"It's _Professor_ Ihansha, but continue." Tim jerked his head to the side.

"I-is something wrong?" I asked.

The man in white shook his head. "I've been asked to escort the two of you up to the Commentator's Booth. Miss Trail would like to conduct an interview with you."

"I-i-i-interview?" I stammered.

"It's standard procedure for finalists. The winners of the next Duel will be asked to conduct an interview as well. Now if the two of you will please follow me…"

"Interview, eh?" Tim shrugged. "Cool. I'm down."

Fuck.

I could barely say a fucking sentence without fucking stuttering and she wanted to fucking interview me?! I mean sure, Melissa seemed nice, but she couldn't have thought it was going to go _well_. And I assumed it was going to be aired or broadcast or streamed or whatever, live on TV and I didn't want that. I _really_ didn't want that.

But, in spite of the fact that I _really_ didn't want that, I _also_ didn't want to piss anybody off, so I thought it best to just go along with it, and if I did happen to fuck up and embarrass myself, which there was a definite possibility of, it wouldn't matter, because, I hoped, I'd be home once the tournament was over.

Tim and I followed the KC Guard from the Duel Field and down the hall into an elevator. I found it hard not to think about the fact that while Tim and I were heading up for an interview, Tony and Sesu were on their way to a labor facility in the Commons, where this Dimension's Leo and Luna most likely were.

I fidgeted, only removing my cards from (and powering off) my Duel Disk once I realized the elevator had stopped moving. The doors opened to reveal a room just barely bigger than the interrogation room at The Facility. There was a table with three chairs at one end, Melissa sitting in the middle chair as she overlooked the stadium. Two others stood at the corner of the room, operating a camera and a teleprompter respectively.

Melissa's eyes lit up as they locked with Tim's, the KC Guard bowing as he remained in the elevator, Tim and I stepping out.

"Hiya! Congratulations on your win! Thanks so much for coming up on such short notice!" Melissa smiled.

"Ah, it's no trouble. Anything to get to see a beautiful girl like you again, Lissy," Tim smiled, leaning over and giving Melissa a quick peck, that actually quickly turned into a full-blown make-out session.

My head fell to my hands as their tongue-licking and spit-swapping did nothing to calm my nerves. Melissa moaned and then eased herself away from Tim. "Wait, I… um… we need to be professional here for a moment, gorgeous. Besides we have company."

I passively put my hands up. "No, don't m-m-mind me…" I sighed, trying and failing to get my speech under control. "But actually, I was w-wondering. As you can… probably tell, I h-have a speech impediment, s-so if it's alright with you, I'd like if I could be excluded from the interview, p-p-please."

"Oh…" Melissa sounded genuinely disheartened at my request. "Well it was only going to be a short interview anyway. I mean, all we have left after this for today is the Duel between Yugo, Celina, Yuya and Zuzu. The plan was to record the interview, air it live, and then air parts of it again at the end of the day along with an interview with the winners of the _next_ Duel, _after_ a recap of the tournament's events so far." Melissa put a finger to her lips for a moment. "Okay, okay, how about, I interview you, and you can give one word answers if you want? No pressure, and your _hunk_ of a partner can answer all the tough ones." She winked.

"Alright, that's… yeah, okay…" I mumbled. It was better than nothing, and I was actually really grateful with how understanding Melissa was.

"Great! Great! Thanks so much!" she smiled, taking my hands in hers for a brief moment. "Okay, so, my questions will come through on the teleprompter there, and you can answer them however you like. They won't be too invasive, too personal, but I have to ask, have either of you been interviewed or been on television or anything like that before?"

"N-no…" I muttered.

"Well, back in Dimension H-GS1, I was technically on TV when I participated in the seventy-fourth Hunger Games and won, _spoiler alert_. But that was honestly pretty meh. _Way_ too overhyped. I _would_ have liked to have been on that cooking show though. That food looked awesome." Tim licked his lips and I once again had no idea what he was talking about.

"Okay, well, great! So, both of you sit either side of me." Melissa patted both seats as Tim and I sat down and Melissa turned to face me. "So, I'll ask a question, move the microphone to you, you can give as minimal or as detailed an answer as you'd like, and then Tim can answer. If it helps, just pretend the camera's not here and look at me."

"Right, we're back on in thirty seconds." The cameraman spoke up.

I glanced at the camera and then at the teleprompter, feeling my heart pound in my chest as I froze up.

Melissa cleared her throat. "I probably should have asked you this before, but can I get you a glass of water or something?"

"Nah, I'm good, love." Tim grinned, staring directly into the camera.

"N-n-n-no thank you, I-I'm fine-" I lied. "H-how l…ong is this going to be?"

"Not very long. Five minutes at the most." Melissa smiled.

"Ten seconds." the cameraman stated. Melissa nodded, turning to face the teleprompter. Moments later, Melissa was signaled, and she was _off_!

"And we're _ba~ack_! If you're just tuning in, up here with me now is the team that just won the first Duel of the Friendship Tag Cup's third day, Tyler Nochi, and, of course, Tim Ihansha. Now, I must say that we've all been very impressed by what you've achieved in the tournament so far. I mean, you were able to Summon _Exodia the Forbidden One_ , a feat that _no one_ in the history of Duel Monsters has _ever_ accomplished, and your _first_ Duel in the tournament was positively _spellbinding_! We all think you've done magnificently so far, but how do you feel you went today?" Melissa asked, holding the microphone out to me.

All I had to say was 'Good', but any effort to say anything just made my face start to contort, the only thing my stupid body able to muster being a staggered whispering of "Ah…" as the word 'Good' seemed to clog up my throat.

I must have looked like a deer caught in the headlights, my eyes fixed on the microphone for what was certainly far too long. "Good." I finally managed to struggle out, Tim reaching over and taking the microphone from me, which I wished he would have done sooner.

"It's tough to say." He began, his eyes moving from the camera as he faced Melissa. "I don't really look at the numbers, I just go off the feel. I feel like I could have done better. I came in a little tight. The thing is, I live for this stuff. A fight's a fight. I live for fighting, I don't take days off. The fact of the matter is, coming into this competition, my fingers were feelin' it. Know why? 'cause I trained yesterday. Not once, not twice, three times. Match Duel. Was it smart? Yes, 'cause that's what I live for. And I know that, even if today was not a good day, tomorrow will probably be a better day, but the fact of the matter is tomorrow, I'll be goin' up against Quack Atlantis, and I know now, after all these Duels, what I need to _work on_!" he suddenly yelled, Melissa flinching. "I had no idea what to think comin' into this competition, I was expectin' thirty year old virgins with neckbeards and B.O. Do you think I playtested my Deck before goin' into this? No. Know why? ' _Cause it's a mindset_! I don't care if it's in the arena or on the streets, I'm gonna wreck that Quack Atlantis with his bad Australian accent." Tim suddenly turned, once again staring directly into the camera, as though he was personally addressing Jack Atlas. "I bet you're not even Australian, cobber. Where you from, mate? I'm from Perth. I'll destroy you. Meet me on the Armadale line. What I'm trying to say is…" Tim's face quickly broke a smile, and he covered his face with his hands for a moment before turning back to Melissa and shouting into the microphone once more. "It's never enough! It's never enough! It doesn't matter, even if I was the best! Even if, like, people have been sayin' 'Hey man, that was a pretty good Duel' _No it's not_! It's _never_ a good Duel! Because it can always be _better_! That is _not enough_! And I can guarantee you this tomorrow, I could come in here, put my heart and soul on the line, and it's still not enough… but lemme tell ya somethin'… people are gonna see the fire, they're gonna _see_ the _intensity_ , and say 'My God! This guy has _it_. I dunno what he has, but he has it'. So even if I don't win, which I will, I still have _it_. I still have what they all want. What Quack Atlantis _wishes_ he had…!" Tim panted, handing Melissa back the microphone, who simply stared at him in bewilderment for several moments. I couldn't blame her. I wouldn't have known what to say either. I didn't even know where that all _came_ from!

"Okay…" Melissa muttered. "Next, uh… next question… uh… there have been rumors going around that the two of you are from…" Melissa paused, looking a little unsure, "well, people have said 'another Dimension'. Is there any truth to those rumors, and if there is, would you care to explain?" Melissa asked, moving the microphone away from Tim and facing me, which was probably for the best.

Except for the fact I couldn't talk.

"Uh… w-well, I…" I stammered, Tim grabbing back the microphone.

"It's exactly how it sounds, babe. Tyler the Terror and I-"

I cringed. "Please-"

"Are from a different Dimension. Now, we're not from the _same_ Dimension – we're from two different places and just happened to meet, and now we're here. Oh, and by the way, I got a message for some wankers." Tim grumbled, once again turning to face the camera.

"Sorry, would you mind watching your language-" Melissa asked, only to be cut off by Tim.

"My buddy here was attacked yesterday after our Duel. You hide behind your Real Solid Vision because you're a bunch o' cowards. Drop the tech and fight like a man. The people I'm addressin'… you _know_ who you are. If you wanna come after anyone, come after me, Tim Ihansha, Dimension E-199999, and we'll see who the real men are." Tim held the mic right up to his lips. "That's Dimension E, the number one, and then five nines. Oh, and don't think that now that you know where I'm from that you can just go there and start causing mayhem, okay? The people of my Dimension don't take kindly to invaders, and we have weapons at our disposal more powerful than your pathetic trading cards and Real Solid Vision could _ever_ be, and they'll waste no time in taking you out. I suggest you take this as a warning, and go back to wherever the Hell you came from, and don't bother anyone again. Otherwise, you'll have me to answer to." Tim looked to Melissa, a sternness in his eyes. "Alright, babe. Interview over. Cheers. C'mon, Tyler."

"Uh, yeah, o…okay…" I muttered.

"H-hold on…!" Melissa called out, but Tim had already moved from his seat, grabbed me by my Duel Disk and dragged me over to the elevator. "Uh, o-okay, we're going to take a break…" Melissa's voice trailed off. I assumed she was speaking to the camera, but Tim had already hit the button on the elevator and the doors had already opened. Tim dragged me inside and forced the doors closed.

"Ow, Tim, can you n-not be so r-r-rough?" I whined.

"They're listening…" Tim said quietly, not even looking at me. "We waste time here, more of 'em will come to us."

"Y-you mean… people from the Fusion Dimension…?" I whispered. Tim nodded as I sighed. " _You_ w-were the one who mentioned them in the f-f-first place! You b-b-basically called them out to come and get us, _and_ you just gave _any_ potential threat, like, the direct link to your Dimension."

Tim shrugged. "So what?"

"Even if I knew where I came from, I wouldn't go broadcasting it to the entire City when people from the Fusion Dimension might be listening in. Don't you… don't you _care_ about the safety of the people in your Dimension?"

Tim stopped and turned to me as the elevator stopped and the doors opened. "You know what my Dimension has?" Tim asked, and, of course, I didn't, so I shook my head as he began to walk out. "Witches, wizards, vampires, werewolves, mermaids, mutants, Gods, a Goblin made of Fire, and a whole host of other creatures. _Any_ of them would be _more_ than capable of taking out what basically equate to child soldiers, and not even the _good_ kind of child soldiers."

"There's a _good_ kind?" I asked, quickly moving to keep up my pace with him.

"What do you think I was? I was six years old when I joined the army. How do you think I ended up lookin' this good? I didn't start late. I started early, got a jump on the competition."

I suddenly found myself torn from Tim's side, ripped away and thrown to the ground.

I only realized after several moments that I was on my back, a white hot pain burning through my spine as I looked up to see four young men in blue military uniforms, their faces obscured by masks of crafted bone fashioned onto metal helmets, shield-shaped Duel Disks on their arms. The four of them stood in-between Tim and me, focusing more on the redhead than me.

" _Oh_?" Tim's voice was uncharacteristically soft. "You lot were quicker than I thought you'd be. I was going to take Tyler back to the hotel and come and find you myself. I mean, I'm _assuming_ you're the ones, right?"

"T-Tim-" I struggled, desperately trying to suck in a quick breath.

"It's alright…" Tim continued to speak softly, his voice almost tickling my senses.

"You think you're so tough?" One of the men asked.

"You got some nerve calling us out like that!"

"A _death wish_ is more like it!"

"Is that right?" Tim tilted his head to the side. "Well, you've got some nerve attacking an innocent bystander."

"Card him." My eyes widened as one of the men turned to me, holding their Duel Disk out. Tim had already rushed forward, faster than my eyes could track, grabbing the man by their head and slamming it into the wall. The building rumbled, and Tim pressed just a little harder, smearing the man's head into a paste, blood, brains and fluid running down and pooling at the bottom.

I was already taken aback by the entire situation, but the gruesome sight kept me from moving. "Someone card him!" one of the other three called out, having seemingly completely forgotten about me.

"You think me being a card will save you?" Tim asked, his voice coarser and gruffer, the softness gone completely. It didn't even _sound_ like Tim. Tim suddenly rushed forward again, swinging his leg around and making contact with one of the young mans' heads. The man jolted, his head forced to move backwards as his neck snapped. He let out one final strangled yelp before dropping to the floor, blood streaming from his mouth.

The fire in Tim's eyes had been replaced with blood, his crimson sclera shimmering as both color and sanity seemed to leave his body.

"D-d-d-d-don't come any closer…!" one of the last two warned. Though in truth, all they were doing was begging.

Tim stopped moving. "Let's Duel…" he said quietly, almost like he was speaking to himself.

"Wh-what…?" the man gasped, Tim once again moving faster than my eyes could see, drawing a card quickly from his Deck and throwing it at the former assailant, lodging it into his left eye. The man tensed for a moment, staggering back before he too relinquished and dropped to the ground.

There was one man left, and Tim turned to him, paralyzing him with his stare. Tim tensed and the man's Duel Disk suddenly shorted, showering him with sparks. He rushed to take off his Duel Disk, throwing it to the ground and taking a step back.

Pulling myself away from the sight of cracked skulls, broken bodies and the blood-stained wall, it seemingly took all the effort I had to call out to Tim, and even then, it probably came out as barely more than a whisper. "T-Tim…! Please stop, that's enough. H-h-his Duel Disk is b-broken! You don't have to-"

"Huh?" Tim turned back to me suddenly, his eyes no longer as fierce and striking as they were only moments ago. Tim put a hand to his scarred chest and shook his head. "Yeah… best let one of 'em go. We need one of them to report back to their leader. Otherwise no one'll know, and it'll be senseless…" Tim sighed, letting the last one slip away. Tim walked over to one of the corpses, the walls of the room red with blood as Tim plucked Exodia the Forbidden One out of his broken skull.

* * *

"🎶Shootin' at the walls of heartache! Bang, bang! I a~am the warrior! Well I am the warrior! And heart to heart you'll win, if you survi~ive the warrior! The warrior!🎶"

Tim kicked the door to our hotel room down, obviously experiencing some kind of high from having killed three people. The people at reception were certainly surprised when he came through coated in blood belting Scandal's 'The Warrior'. Hazel looked absolutely horrified and didn't even say a word as we went up to our room. I couldn't blame her. The moment I made it back to the room, I grabbed my counterpart's Deck and frantically searched for Apple Magician Girl.

"I need to talk to you~" I said, my voice cracking as I spoke, desperation unfortunately coming through. I hadn't even finished speaking and she'd already appeared beside me. I grabbed her card and took it with me into the bathroom, closing the door and locking it. Apple Magician Girl phased through the door and looked at me with concern.

"Tyler, is everything okay-"

"You were right. You were right." I said quickly. "After our Duel today, they made us have an interview, and on the way back, we got assaulted by… by these guys from the Fusion Dimension, and, and Tim, he went, it was…"

"Tyler, it's alright, calm down. Take some deep breaths for me." Apple Magician Girl cooed, concern weaved through every word she spoke and breath she took.

Just being in her presence was enough to calm me down a little bit, but I felt very hot, like I wanted to rip my own skin off to let the rest of my body breathe.

"There were four guys, a-and Tim killed three of them. It was different. I-I-I-I mean, he did it in The Facility, but… this was different. His eyes, his voice, they were different, they weren't his. I know he did it to protect me, but it wasn't-"

"It wasn't him…" Apple Magician Girl finished, quickly turning away, a shallow breath escaping her. "I should have been there with you…" she muttered, turning back to me. "What about you? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm fine. I just…" I exhaled. "I just want to get out of here. Out of this hotel, out of this City, out of this Dimension. I want to go home where it's _safe_." I whined, only for an unfortunate truth to be made clear to me moments later.

_I_ would be safe. But the _others_ wouldn't be.

I froze realizing that my stance, my shock of Tim's murders, was almost hypocritical, because I had done the exact same thing. And by leaving, by going home to my Dimension, I was simply expecting my friends to be okay with the person I'd become. A murderer.

I didn't even realize my body was shaking until Apple Magician Girl asked "Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

I clasped my hands together, trying to use them to stop the other from shaking as I spoke. "I was the same… I did the same thing… I-I killed Kobi… shot him right in the head… And the thing is… I would do it again, and again and again, without hesitation…" I exhaled shakily. "S-so maybe… maybe I don't go home." I shook my head, gasping, dread quickly stealing through me. "I can't be afraid of what Tim did if I… I'm perfectly willing to do the same thing… I don't know… Tim might have some other presence inside him, influencing him, but I don't. I have no excuse for how I've been acting; I'm just a bad person. And Yusei and Luna and Seria and everyone don't deserve to be put through that. To have to deal with me." I felt tears well in my eyes as I looked at Apple Magician Girl. "I-I-I-I never wanted New Domino City to be destroyed, but I wanted Joel dead… and I wanted Kobi dead too… that's not right… No matter what they've done or did to me, it's not my place to take someone's life. What do I do? I go back, and… that rage and everything is still there. So then what? Go back to therapy? And what do I even _say_ to everyone? 'Oh, yeah, I _tried_ killing myself, but then this redheaded guy brought me back to life and took me to a place where babies were ground down into nutrients, and _then_ he took me to this place that was sort of like home except my ex and her brother were sadistic as fuck, Yusei was like five years younger, Crow was alive and Jack was still an asshole. Oh yeah, and I also killed my stepdad and my stepbrother, because the version of my stepdad raped the version of me and then _he_ ended up killing himself because of it', I mean, what the fuck?"

"Tyler, this situation… it's hard, I know. I'm not going to tell you to do something you don't want to do. But just take some time and think it over. You still have a day to figure out what you want to do, and _whatever_ that is, I will support you no matter what, because, and I want you to hear this: you're _not_ a bad person. Trust me. I've existed for thousands of years and I've seen horrible, _horrible_ people do absolutely _dreadful_ things. I'm not saying that Kobi or Joel deserved to die, and I'm not saying that you were right to kill them, but I'm not going to blame you or think any less of you because of what you did. If anyone is a bad person…" tears slowly formed in Apple Magician Girl's eyes as she spoke, "it's me… you shouldn't have had to take it upon yourself to do that, and if I had have… if I had have done what needed to be done, protected the other Tyler like I was supposed to, none of this would have happened."

I sighed, activating my Duel Disk and throwing her card down onto it, allowing her physical form to manifest itself. "Hey, c'mere," I motioned for her to give me her hands, which she did. "It's not your fault, Fizdis. None of this… _none_ of this is your fault, and no matter what happened to the other Tyler, that wouldn't have changed how I felt. I mean, I probably wouldn't have known, but… not knowing doesn't mean something didn't happen. I told you before how I had amnesia for a little bit."

"Yeah, you did…" Apple Magician Girl closed her eyes and shook her head. "I actually wanted to ask you about that, but I wasn't sure if… if that was okay…"

I found myself letting go of Apple Magician Girl's hands. "I… told you how I had issues with Duel Spirits before, right?" I asked softly, Apple Magician Girl nodding. "Well, I… I had a… I guess a Spirit partner, a l-l-little bit like you, who… um, was looking out for me, and he… convinced me that… it was probably for the best that I leave New Domino City for the Satellite. Now, I didn't need much convincing, 'cause I didn't want to put up with Kobi's abuse, and I wasn't going to forever. I was already planning on running away as I'd… tried to do several times. But it was Explosivo, my partner, who convinced me that the Satellite – basically our version of your Commons – was the best place for me. And it was… for a while…" I exhaled shakily and I realized I was starting to get emotionally worked up again. "Like the other Tyler, I… I met this really great group of people who did whatever they could to help me, and they became my family, my… the people that I cared about the most. Eventually I started getting these weird dreams where, um… I would be in the Spirit World and someone was calling out to me. And then… I woke up and Explosivo told me to follow him, so I did. And he… led me to an alleyway~" my voice started to waver, "to a man called Sayer, who was the leader of this cult called the Arcadia Movement, and he…" I sighed, "well, he brainwashed me. I don't want to get into all the nitty-gritty, but the long and the short of it was that Luna, the girl I love, was being held captive in the Arcadia Movement, and Explosivo forced me to get brainwashed and all that, so that at some point I could free her. And of course, Sayer used… whatever technology he had to wipe my memories out. My whole life was just gone, and I didn't… didn't even know." I took hold of Apple Magician Girl's hands again, tears staining my eyes and distorting my vision. "That's why I was a dick when we first met, because I thought that you might be like him, and I didn't want to go through that again."

"Tyler~" Apple Magician Girl's voice wavered and I felt myself being taken into her arms. "I am so, _so_ , sorry, sweetheart!" she cried.

"He didn't need to do that to me. I would have helped him if he just had have asked, but he didn't. He just forced it on me without even asking. I wondered if… if you'd done the same th-"

"No, never, never, my darling! I'd never…!" she trailed off, holding me tighter.

We stayed like that for a while, just holding each other, no longer talking. I think we'd said everything that needed to be said. She now knew pretty much everything about me, and I'd resigned myself to her, burying my head in the nape of her neck.

It was only when Tim knocked on the bathroom door and called out "You done in there?" that Apple Magician Girl set me down, her eyes wistful.

"Almost…" she said back to him.

"Whoa, _Red_?" Tim asked, and then there was silence for some time.

I sighed, moving to unlock the bathroom door, Apple Magician Girl placing a hand on mine. "It's alright…" she whispered, "it's alright…"

"Thanks…" I whispered back, removing her card from my Duel Disk before opening the bathroom door. "What?" I asked Tim, my tone probably less than desirable.

"I thought I heard Red just now. What's up?"

"I-I just needed to talk to someone…" I mumbled.

Tim furrowed his brows. "You okay?"

"I don't know…" I replied honestly. "I'm thinking… maybe I shouldn't go home."

Tim blinked an outrageously frequent number of times. "I'm sorry… _what_?!"

"W-w-well, it's just-"

" _Quiet_." Tim said firmly, taking a deep breath. "We were in _this very hotel room_ when you said to me that seeing Jack in this Dimension made you realize that you _have_ to get home, and _now_ you're telling me _otherwise_? That you'd rather go _somewhere else_?"

"I-I-"

"So you want to hide then? Hide like a coward in some backwater Dimension rather than face up to your friends, who I'm sure miss you a Hell of a lot more than you miss them. No, listen mate: I'm taking you back to your Dimension even if I have to drag you there kicking and screaming. God damn it, don't you realize how fortunate you are? To have friends who love and care about you? Bloody Hell, I must have said the same thing a thousand times to you by now, and you're still not gettin' it!"

"I-I-I'm sorry-" I found myself apologizing.

"No, don't say sorry! 'Sorry' doesn't mean anything! It's just a word! It's _actions_ that define a person! Don't flip-flop on what you're gonna do! Enough of that! Prove to me, make good on your word, and go home, like you said you would!" Tim sighed. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to chuck a piss, take a shit, and give my tits a good scrub. Just… go watch some TV or somethin'." Tim said, literally moving me out of the way before making his own way into the bathroom, closing and locking the door. I heard him mumbling to himself, probably about me, before I moved away from the bathroom door and over to my bed.

I sighed, staring at the television screen as I heard Tim turn the shower on.

"I don't like how he talks to you." I heard Apple Magician Girl say.

I shook my head. "I don't care about that, really. I just… he didn't even, like, _mention_ what he did to those Fusion Dimension guys." I just continued to stare aimlessly at the television screen, which wasn't even on. I was literally just staring at a blank screen. I took my Duel Disk off and put it aside. "Doesn't matter." I told her. "W-w-we won, wh-which means one more Duel left before we face Jack Atlas." I yawned, turning to Apple Magician Girl. "You don't mind if I watch the next Duel, do you?"

Apple Magician Girl shook her head. "Of course not. I'll leave you to it, sweetie. I-if you need me, just call, and I'll come, okay?"

"Thanks." I smiled, Apple Magician Girl returning it with a smile of her own as her spirit form faded away.

I picked up the remote and turned the TV on, immediately greeted with a split-screen shot of Yuya, Zuzu, Celina and Yugo staring each other down at the stadium. It looked like I'd literally just made the start of the Duel.

" _Duel_!"

[Yuya & Zuzu: 8000 LP]  
[Yugo & Celina: 8000 LP]

"I'll start by Special Summoning Speedroid Terrortop in Attack Position!" Yugo shouted, a red beigoma hiding two blades inside itself spinning onto the field [ATK: 1200]. "I can do this if Rin and I don't control any Monsters-"

" _Celina_. My name is Celina." The purple-haired termagant huffed.

Yugo scratched the back of his head. "S-sorry… um… anyway, when Terrortop is Summoned, I get to add another Speedroid from my Deck to my hand, so I'll add Speedroid Taketomborg to my hand, and then I'll use its effect, Special Summoning it since I control a Wind Monster!" a bipedal bamboo-copter popped up beside Terrortop [DEF: 1200]. "And now I'll Normal Summon Speedroid Den-Den Daiko Duke!" a regally-dressed cyborg holding a pellet drum appeared on the other side of Terrortop [ATK: 1000]. "Now I tune my Den-Den Daiko Duke with my Taketomborg! Magical sword with the form of a cross! Use your power to rend all enemies! Synchro Summon! Appear now! Hi-Speedroid Kendama!" all of Yugo's Monsters flew up into the sky, becoming bathed in light. When the light faded, a metallic spiked sword-and-ball had taken up Yugo's field [ATK: 2200]. "I'll Set two cards and end my turn."

Yuya drew. "Alright! Now it's time for _me_ to take control of this Duel, and set the Pendulum Scale – Scale Five Performapal Cheermole, and Scale Eight Xiangsheng Magician!"

"Zuzu told me about this…" Yugo grinned, Yuya's two Monsters appearing on opposite ends of his field, a portal slowly beginning to open.

"With this Scale in place, I can Special Summon Level Six and Seven Monsters from my hand simultaneously! So now, swing, pendulum of souls! Draw an arc of light across the sky, and carve the arc of victory in the ether! Pendulum Summon! Appear! Wondrous and beautiful dichromatic eyes! Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!" a burst of red light came from the portal, settling and breaking to reveal the form of a red dragon [ATK: 2500].

Yuya's Monster roared and Yugo's eyes widened, the boy reaching up and holding his hands near his ears. "I don't feel… what is… what is this…?" he cringed. "It's this… this is… _you_ …"

"Yugo, are you okay?" Celina asked, the young girl uncharacteristically concerned about someone else's wellbeing.

Almost instantly, it seemed like Yugo's strain broke away as he turned to his partner. "Rin…" he whispered, before turning back to face Yuya and Zuzu. "Yes, I'm fine. I'm not scared of your dragon! Give me your best shot, Yuya!"

"I plan to," Yuya smiled back, "but before that, I'm going to play Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy one of your face-downs!" Winds swirled together on Yuya and Zuzu's field, making its way over to Yugo's and blowing away his Set Mirror Force. "Oh, and I forgot to mention, since Performapal Cheermole is in my Pendulum Zone, all Pendulum Monsters we control on our field gain three hundred Attack Points!" Yuya's Monster roared once more [Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon: ATK: 2800]. "Now it's time for the first act showstopper! Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon, attack Speedroid Terrortop! Spiral Flame Strike!"

A wave of red and black spewed from the mouth of Yuya's dragon, engulfing Yugo's Monster and throwing the blue and yellow-haired boy to the floor.

[Yugo & Celina: 4800 LP]

"Y-Yugo…" Celina muttered, suddenly clutching her arm. "My bracelet…" she mumbled. I leaned closer to the TV and saw that Celina was indeed wearing a bracelet, something I hadn't noticed before, nor really given any thought to.

Yuya exhaled heavily. "That ends my turn…"

Celina drew. "I'll Set a card, and activate Allure of Darkness! This card lets me draw two cards and then in return, I have to Banish a Dark Monster from my hand, so, I'll draw two, and then Banish my Lunalight White Rabbit. Now I'll Set one more card and activate Dark Hole, destroying all Monsters on the field!" a black hole opened up on the field, drawing in both Yuya's dragon and Yugo's machine. "Next, I play Twin Twisters! By discarding a card, I can destroy two other Spell or Trap Cards on the field, so I'll discard Lunalight White Tiger to destroy the cards in your Pendulum Zone!" both pillars of light on Yuya's field dimmed as the Monsters were swept away. I had to remind myself that Pendulum Monsters were also considered Spell Cards while in the Pendulum Zone. Something to consider. "Now I'll Normal Summon Lunalight Blue Cat, enter my Battle Phase and attack your Life Points directly!" a blue-skinned catgirl appeared on Celina's field, the silhouette of a third-quarter moon behind her [ATK: 1600]. Without warning, she suddenly pounced on Yuya, who dropped to the ground beneath her weight.

[Yuya & Zuzu: 6400 LP]

"I end my turn."

"Okay, my turn!" Zuzu shouted, Celina throwing her hand out as the former drew.

"I activate Yugo's Call of the Haunted, letting me Special Summon a Monster from our Graveyard. Return, Hi-Speedroid Kendama!" Yugo's sword-and-ball broke out of the ground, taking its place on Celina's field [ATK: 2200].

"No problem! I activate the Field Spell Card, The Sanctuary in the Sky!" a yellow light erupted from Zuzu's field, the four Duelists finding themselves standing at the summit of a temple. "Next, I Normal Summon Aria the Melodious Diva!" a pink-skinned woman appeared on Zuzu's field, hands clasped together, humming to herself [ATK: 1600]. "Then I'll boost her Attack Points by equipping her with Winged Trumpeter, increasing her Attack Points by five hundred!" from inside the temple, the sound of a trumpet could be heard, Aria harmonizing with it [ATK: 2100]. "Battle time! Aria, attack Blue Cat!"

Aria surrendered her hands to her sides, belting out one single note, shockwaves ripping apart Celina's Monster.

[Yugo & Celina: 4300 LP]

Celina wasn't deterred however. "I'll activate my Blue Cat's effect: when she's destroyed, I get to Special Summon another Lunalight Monster from my Deck, so come forth, Lunalight White Rabbit! Defense Position!" a hammer-wielding rabbitgirl hopped onto Celina's field [DEF: 800].

"I'll Set two cards and end my turn." Zuzu said.

Yugo drew. "First, I activate Lunalight White Rabbit's effect: with her out on the field, I can target one of your Spell or Trap Cards and return them to your hand. I'll choose your Winged Trumpeter!" the sound of the trumpet-playing fairy on Zuzu's field was suddenly silenced [Aria the Melodious Diva: ATK: 1600]. "Next, I activate Mystical Space Typhoon, destroying your Sanctuary in the Sky!" Winds swirled around each other from the center of the Duel Field, moving outward and tearing Zuzu's Field Spell away. "Now, I Normal Summon Speedroid Red-Eyed Dice!" a, well, red-eyed die rolled onto Yugo's field [ATK: 100]. "And I'll tune it together with Hi-Speedroid Kendama! Spread those wondrous and beautiful wings, and strike down your enemies at the speed of light! Synchro Summon! Appear now, Clear Wing Synchro Dragon!" a blue light crashed onto the field as Yugo's Monsters melded together, and when the light faded, a white and black dragon with transparent green wings had taken up Yugo's field, the massive beast hovering above the young boy [ATK: 2500].

I was reminded of both Yusei's Stardust Dragon and Jack's Red Dragon Archfiend. Yuya shivered, looking completely spaced out. "Just like last time…" he cringed.

"Clear Wing Synchro Dragon! Attack! Spinstorm Sky Strike!" Yugo shouted, his dragon roaring, surrounding itself with a green aura before charging through Zuzu's Monster. Yuya gasped, moving to protect Zuzu from the shockwaves of the attack.

[Yuya & Zuzu: 5500 LP]

"Yuya!" Zuzu shouted to the boy in front of her. As the camera panned around the two of them, I realized that Zuzu was also wearing a bracelet, much like Celina. There was a gem or a light or something on it, and it was flickering.

Yuya dropped his hands to his sides and smiled, his crimson eyes wide. "I will… I will…" he snickered.

"Yuya, what's wrong?" Zuzu asked, but Yuya kept his eyes on Yugo, steely and unrelenting as he drew.

"I activate Pot of Desires! By Banishing the top ten cards of my Deck face-down, I draw two cards!" Yuya simply removed the cards from his Duel Disk, discarding them to the floor of the arena before drawing two more. "Next, I Set one card face-down and activate the Spell Card Selection of Fate! Now, you have to choose one of the cards in my hand at random, and if it's a Monster, I get to Special Summon it!"

"Y-Yuya?" Zuzu seemed quite perturbed not only by Yuya's demeanor, but also by the appearance of two portals above Yuya, one white light, the other black.

"Go on, choose!" Yuya pressed.

"Um. Okay, I choose the one on the left." Yugo told him.

Yuya snickered. "Good choice. For me. I Special Summon Tuning Magician!" from out of the white portal, a pink-haired fair-skinned Spellcaster appeared, posing to the audience with a giggle [ATK: 0]. "Tuning Magician's effect activates, and your Life Points increase by four hundred, while our Life Points _decrease_ by four hundred!"

[Yugo & Celina: 4700 LP]  
[Yuya & Zuzu: 5100 LP]

"And now that there's been a change to your Life Points, I can activate Performapal Life Swordsman's effect from my hand and Special Summon _him_ to the field as well!" from out of the black portal arrived an orange-haired Warrior, the two portals fading away [ATK: 400]. "Finally, I activate the card I just Set, Cosmic Astral Code!"

"No way…" I muttered.

"This Spell Card lets me Special Summon a Synchro Monster straight from my Extra Deck, ignoring its Summoning conditions, but it gets sent to the Graveyard at the End Phase! Hero's blade that sets forth unyielding light! Here and now, along with a flash, awaken, Enlightenment Paladin!" A light broke in in front of Yuya, a fantastic-looking swordsman appearing [ATK: 2500]. "But I'm not done! Now I'll tune my Tuning Magician with Performapal Life Swordsman _and_ Enlightenment Paladin! From the depths of time, release this power throughout this wide world, and transcend! Synchro Summon! The Super Magical Synchro Swordsman! Nirvana High Paladin!"

Enlightenment Paladin twirled his sword around as Yuya's other Monsters joined him, separating into stars which the other Monsters flowed into, an even more spectacular-looking swordsman resulting from them [ATK: 3300].

"Yuya…" Celina muttered.

Yuya wasn't even looking at Yugo or Celina. No, his eyes were permanently transfixed on Clear Wing Synchro Dragon. Yuya suddenly cried out, throwing his hand forward. "Now I'll reveal Zuzu's face-down card, Broken Spotlight, to negate the effects of all Monsters you have out on the field!" the light around Yugo's dragon dimmed, its wings cracking.

"My dragon…!" Yugo winced.

Yuya dropped to his knees, gasping and laughing. "Now! Battle Phase! Nirvana High Paladin attacks Clear Wing Synchro Dragon! _Elysium Eradication_!" a wave of purple light came from Nirvana High Paladin's sword, slicing through Clear Wing Synchro Dragon and just barely missing Yugo himself.

[Yugo & Celina: 3900 LP]

Yuya got to his feet, clutching his left shoulder. "When Nirvana High Paladin destroys a Monster by battle, I can cut your Life Points in half!" he shouted, Celina getting knocked off her feet from the shockwaves. Yugo on the other hand stood strong, screaming out much as Yuya had done.

[Yugo & Celina: 1950 LP]

Eventually Yugo's cries were silenced, and he dropped his head, body seeming to go limp for a moment. Celina's bracelet flickered with a light much like Zuzu's, the two seeming to reverberate off of each other.

"The magician longs to see…" Yuya panted, heaving long breaths as he seemed to struggle to speak. "One chants out between two worlds… Fire… walk with me…" Yuya continued to breathe lengthily, heavily, hands trembling ever so slightly.

"What the Hell's going on here…?" Celina muttered, drawing. "You told me you wanted to spread the joy of Entertainment Dueling to everyone here in the Synchro Dimension! What changed, Yuya?!" Celina called to her opponent and fellow Lancer.

"Yuya, you're acting very strange." Zuzu agreed, "This isn't like you!"

"He didn't stop… you didn't stop when I asked… begged… pleaded…" Yuya smirked. "But that's what we wanted, isn't it…? To fight…" he muttered, his eyes meeting Yugo's, the two boys standing across from each other almost in a trance.

"Yuya-"

"Make your move, Celina…" Yuya said coolly.

Celina groaned. "I activate Polymerization, fusing the Lunalight Purple Butterfly in my hand with the Lunalight White Rabbit on my field! Butterfly with violet poison, together with the lively white rabbit illuminated by moonlight! Swarm in a vortex of the moon's gravity and revive with a new power! Fusion Summon! Come forth! Lunalight Cat Dancer!" Celina's Monsters rose into the air, swirling around each other to form a scantily-clad sultry-sounding pink-skinned catgirl [DEF: 2000]. "That's all I can do for this turn…"

Zuzu drew, and as the camera zoomed in for a close-up, I could tell she didn't want the Duel to go on for much longer. Both hers and Celina's hands were shaking, the lights from their bracelets intensifying. "Yuya-"

Yuya suddenly broke his gaze from Yugo, his eyes dark and cloudy as his attention snapped to Zuzu. "You are the one who scattered my essence. Do not meddle, just fight. You and I will have our moment soon…!"

"Yuya, what are you talking about…?" Zuzu groaned before having to turn away completely from the immense light coming from her bracelet.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we seem to be-" Melissa's voice was suddenly silenced as the image on screen changed to a set of color bars with the words 'Technical Difficulties Please Stand By' across the screen, along with a singular high-pitched tone ringing in my ears. The suddenness of it actually scared me a little bit.

I didn't know what to do. I just sat there watching it. I waited for several minutes just watching, expecting something else to happen, but nothing did. Eventually, I got up and walked over to the window, looking out at the stadium, a storm of electric black visible in the distance.


	12. Idols and Anchors

The pitch-black storm, originally self-contained over the stadium, bled out over the City over the course of the rest of the day, before eventually dissipating, until there was not a single trace of it, and it was like it never happened at all. The television signal came back again at some point, and Melissa explained that Yuya had been knocked unconscious and Yugo was missing, with Sector Security now looking for him.

As such, Yuya and Zuzu won the Duel by default, and they were due to face us in the next round, the final Duel before the title Duel against Jack Atlas. I'd spent the rest of the day going over my Deck, which in one sense was sort of pointless, seeing as I couldn't actually make any changes to it, as we'd all filled out Decklists prior to the tournament's start and our Decks had to contain those same cards for the tournament's duration, but it was sort of helpful being able to visualize everything.

Tim had gone out to see Declan or Mokuba or whoever it was to talk about whatever their next move was. I wanted to patch things up with him when he'd finished showering, but he got his stuff together and left pretty much straight away, barely telling me anything. He was right, and I would have known that if I wasn't a flip-flopping piece of shit. Of _course_ I had to get home! Of _course_ I had to see Luna and the others again! Anything else would have meant that this whole thing would have just been a waste of time. Even if they hated me, they had to at least know I was sorry for everything I put them through.

I sighed. It was probably mean of me to say, but I wasn't really worried about Yuya and Zuzu, at least in terms of them being our opponents. I'd seen their Decks and how they Dueled enough times to get a general feel for how they played. Zuzu used Fusion, so either blocking Polymerization or any other Fusion cards she might have had with the Continuous Spell Prohibition or slowing her Monsters down with the Field Spell Array of Revealing Light were my best choice.

Yuya on the other hand had Fusion, Synchro, Xyz _and_ Pendulum Monsters in his arsenal, and unfortunately, I didn't really know much about the latter two Summoning types. From his Duel against the twins, I knew that Monsters that were Pendulum Summoned were Summoned at the same time, together, as a group, so cards like Bottomless Trap Hole, Solemn Warning and Torrential Tribute would be really useful for getting rid of mass groups of Monsters, and I was fortunate enough to happen to have all three of those in my Deck. Of course, just because I had them didn't mean I'd be able to draw them when I needed them, but it was something at least.

"Hey-" I nearly threw myself for a loop at the sound of Apple Magician Girl's voice, turning quickly to see her transparent form standing behind me.

"Fizdis, hi, sorry, I was… in my own head a bit there…" I whispered.

"I was just coming back to see if you were asleep yet. I'm surprised you're still awake."

"Y-yeah, I-I know it's late…" I muttered, only realizing then just how late it actually was, a thin outline of midnight blue light coming through a small gap in the curtains. "But I just w-want to make sure my Deck's all r…eady to go. I c-c-can get a-all the sleep that I n-n-n-need or want when I get back to my… Dimension…" I reeled, feeling almost exhausted from having to push through all of those blocks in my speech. Apple Magician Girl looked at me endearingly as I continued. "Wh-whatever happens tomorrow, we won't be coming back here, a-and Tim's gone off doing _God_ knows what, and I…" I sighed, "I can't sleep…"

"Is something the matter?"

"It's just… the Duel I watched today, Yuya and Zuzu's Duel… it got a little bit, um…" I trailed off, sighing and looking down at my Deck sprawled out in front of me. "I-is it… would… w-would you call me a coward if I… if I said I got scared?"

"What happened?"

I shook my head quickly as I looked back at her. "I don't know, he… _they_ … Yuya and Yugo, who… I k-keep thinking is Yusei, they, in the Duel…" I sighed. "They were just… th-the way they were a-acting… it was just a little… unsettling, and… th-that's mostly because I-I've been acting the same. E-e-everything with the Joel here and the Joel back home… I know there's darkness there, in me. A-and thinking about my friends-"

"We'll fix it…" she whispered. "We'll fix all of it, I promise… I know there's still a lot ahead for you, for us, but right now, you need to try and get some rest."

"Y-y-yeah…" I relented, scooping my Deck up. Apple Magician Girl was right, as usual. I wouldn't be of any help to Tim _or myself_ if I was sleep-deprived, though to be honest, I didn't even know if the Duel or the tournament was even going to go ahead after what happened with Yuya. But that wasn't anything I had any control over. No, all I could do, as Apple Magician Girl had said, was get some rest.

I set my Deck aside, throwing my vest jacket over a chair and kicking my shoes off, sliding into bed and looking up at her. I shuffled around in my bed, trying to get comfortable. Apple Magician Girl smiled as she watched me squirm about. I sighed, just about giving up as I threw my arms wide, rolled onto my back and stared up at the ceiling.

"Sorry, I-I didn't mean for you to stop what you were doing. Would… would you like me to leave you alone?" Apple Magician Girl asked.

"No. Y-y-y-you were right. A-and please, d-d-d-don't go on my account. I-I mean, if you want to, you c-c-c-can, but… I feel safe when you're w-with me…" I sighed once more, closing my eyes as the sound of silence started creeping in.

"You're thinking about Luna, aren't you?" Apple Magician Girl asked softly. I opened my eyes and looked over at her. "You're smiling…" She whispered.

I honestly hadn't even noticed. "Yeah… I… she u-used to say I made her feel safe… it felt, felt nice…" I closed my eyes once more. "B-b-back then, I didn't kn-know anything about myself, didn't really have any direction or anything, so it was nice to be wanted…" I exhaled shakily. "I had no idea at the… t-t-t-time that I never used to feel safe." I groaned, the heaviness of my eyes catching up with me. "I'm actually starting to feel tired…"

"Am I boring you _that_ much?" Apple Magician Girl teased.

"No, I…" I trailed off, failing to pick up on her tone and the fact she was joking. "Talking to you is just… it's nice and relaxing…" my voice started to lose tone, cracking as I slowly started to lose myself to sleep, only getting pulled back once I heard the rattling of the door handle to our room.

"Shit…!" I heard Tim whisper-shout from the other side of the door. "Good going, Tim…" he sighed, and then a couple seconds later the handle broke off, the door creaking as Tim made his way inside, closing the door and looking over at me. "Hey…!" Tim half-whispered. "Sorry. Thought you'd be asleep by the time I got back, but I didn't realize most of the staff would be off by now too. Forgot the key to get back in and, well…" Tim glanced down at the door handle. "Oh yeah, the Duel's still goin' ahead tomorrow. Yu _yaas_ is fine now. He's awake, but apparently, he doesn't remember much of what happened. Yeah, Mokubro told me he went all Black Lodge before he and ZoomZoom won. Don't really know what the deal is there, but it's not our problem." Tim sighed, his eyes averting mine for a moment. "Listen, I wanna talk about what I said before."

"Uh-huh…" I mumbled. I did too, but I was actually starting to get pretty tired. For him to have come back late, it probably could have waited until morning.

"People tend to get the wrong idea of what I'm about. Think I'm a monster. I say and do things that people might not agree with, but, ya hafta understand, I…" Tim sighed once more, "Okay, see, one time, I was in this other Dimension, campaigning against handicap access."

I turned to face Tim. "Why were you campaigning _against_ -"

"Would you just listen? Of course if ya interrupt me before I finish it sounds bad. The place I was campaigning against handicap access for was in direct path of, I guess what you'd call an 'alien', species that… has what you and I would consider mobility issues. They can't get up stairs for instance. Anyway, the city didn't know that, and everyone thought I was just disparaging people in wheelchairs and that, so I was reamed out and ostracized, and they went ahead with givin' the place all handicap access, but _because_ of all the handicap access, the town, the city, and eventually the whole Dimension fell to the aliens. Took a lot of effort gettin' rid of 'em, but by the time we did, there was nothin' left."

"Damn…" I muttered, just barely able to keep track of what Tim was saying.

" _Right_?" Tim sighed. "Look, bottom line is, everything I say and do is for a reason. And… it might not seem like it, but… I do care about you. The last time someone charged into battle when I told them not to, they died. And the worst part is, I don't even remember their name. I don't want you to become a nameless statistic."

"Tim…"

"Let _me_ deal with the Lancers and the Fusion Dimension and all that stuff. Fightin' is what I'm good at. That's not to say you're _not_ , but…" Tim motioned to himself, "c'mon, look at me, I'm jacked AF, mate."

I pushed air out of my nose and chuckled.

"Wait…" Tim suddenly paused. "Red's here, ain't she? I can _feel_ it."

I nodded. "I was l…ooking over my Deck to see if I could come up with anything for t-t-to…tomor…" I sighed, shaking my head. " _Tomorrow_." I pushed. "Tomorrow, tomorrow, _tomorrow_. I can say it _now_ , jeez…" I grumbled.

"Don't stress, Jess. You got it." Tim smiled.

I sighed once more. "She came to check up on me, and w-w-w-we got t-talking a little, but it was late…" I trailed. "Y-yeah… she's here…" I swallowed. "Anyway, I-I-I-I've come up with some ideas on how to beat Yuya and Zuzu, but when it comes to Jack… I'm just thinking… when Crow and Yuya Dueled, Crow used Bl-Bl-Bl-Blackwings. The Crow in my Dimension used to run Blackwings as well, before h-he… died. So, what if the Jack in this Dimension uses the same sort of cards as the Jack in my Dimension…?"

"Well, what kind of cards does your Jack play?" Tim finally moved away from the door and over to his bed, swinging around to sit down on it as he faced me.

"W-w-well, his strongest Monster is this… Synchro called Red Dragon Archfiend. It's one of the f-five Signer Dragons, and it's a r-r-r-really powerful card, but the rest of his Deck… I don't know, it's changed a bit over the years. Back when we were in our Duel Gang, he a-actually rarely used Red Dragon Archfiend, the rest of his… Deck just focused on really basic… beatdown. It was kind of really the only cards we could get living in the Satellite, just the stuff that n-n-n-nobody else wanted. But over time, you know, I guess when Jack left the Satellite, his Deck went through a major overhaul and mostly focused on another archetype of cards called R-Resonators, which prevent destruction or damage of that player's cards or Life Points to an extent."

"But wasn't Crow using some other cards in his Duels as well? In the tournament?"

I nodded. "Yeah, the Assault Blackwings. The Crow in my Dimension never had those cards. I didn't even know they existed. And everyone else here too… th-th-th-th-they've been using cards, archetypes and s-s-strategies I've never even seen before. Damn…"

"I've seen Mr. Atlantis sittin' up there in his ivory tower, lookin' down on us, checkin' out all the cards in our Decks. Oh yeah, did you know he hasn't even _seen_ our interview? _Rude_ much. But anyway, he can know our Decks in and out and off by heart for all I care. No matter what he knows, there's one thing he hasn't got."

"' _It_ '?" I asked.

Tim smiled warmly. "A _partner_. As long as the two o' us stick together, there's nothin' we can't do."

I pushed out a big puff of air with a smile, turning away.

"Tyler, he means it." Apple Magician Girl suddenly spoke up. "I can sense it. He's serious."

"Oh, hey, by the way…" Tim said softly, reaching into the pocket of his pants and pulling out a USB drive.

"Wh-what's that?" I fumbled over my words.

"Digital copies of those photos of us. Mokubro said you wanted 'em."

"O-oh…! Th-thanks…" I mumbled, taking the USB and placing it at my bedside, turning back to Tim. Looking into his eyes, I could feel a pit develop in my stomach, my breathing becoming strained, shortened. "Tim, I-I'm sorry that… y-you had to get caught up in all of this. You… y-you probably could have j-just fought your way out of KaibaCorp, gone to the Storage Facility, taken the boat and gone home on your own. I r-r-r-really appreciate everything you've done for me. I don't m…ean to be difficult. I-I kn-know sometimes it seems like I don't appreciate you, but… I do…"

Tim's cheeks reddened. "Wh-what brought _this_ on?" he asked.

"It's just…" I exhaled shakily, the uneasy feeling still in my chest, "I've been thinking about how hard this has been on me, but… at least _my_ Dimension's similar to this one. This whole thing must feel so strange to you, battling with cards and that…"

"Nah, fightin' is fightin'. And if I had to have anyone as my partner in battle, or at least a _card_ battle, you'd be at the top o' my list." Tim smiled, softly bumping me on the shoulder. "Anywho, we've got a _big_ day tomorrow. The biggest, so it's pro'ly a good idea for us to get some sleep." I nodded in agreement, Tim turning over to his side as he uttered a soft "G'night."

"Night, Tim…"

* * *

I lied awake for most of the night, feeling uneasy despite both Tim's and Apple Magician Girl's reassurance. It was just something I couldn't shake. No matter if we won or lost, I'd still have so much more to face, but in terms of what was left of the tournament, I was at least feeling marginally more comfortable with it.

I got up early with the sun, getting together what little things I had, having a quick breakfast and making sure I'd showered and was presentable. It was the fourteenth of April, twenty-twenty-two, and with any luck the day would be the same when I arrived back in my Dimension. I didn't want to wait, so my plan was that I'd go about contacting my friends the moment I arrived back in my Dimension. I'd buy them gifts with whatever money I had left and at least start making headway trying to repair things with them.

I stepped out of the bathroom, fully clothed and ready to go as I saw Tim sitting on his bed. "You don't mind if I keep all these cards, do ya?" Tim asked, glancing over at me.

"Nah, of course not." I said, patting the two Deck Boxes at my sides, one holding my counterpart's Deck, and the other my tournament Deck. "I've got all the cards I need right here. What about you? Are you thinking of p-p-p-p-picking up this game again?"

"Honestly, probably not. I mean, it's fun, but probably not something I can see myself doing again. I really just want the cards 'cause they look cool, and, I dunno, when I'm back home in my Dimension, and I look at 'em, it'll make me think o' you and the memories of this whole thing. Is that alright?"

I nodded. "Yeah, o'course."

"Housekeeping!" a voice called from behind the door to our room, the door creaking open and Mokuba popping his head in. "Nah, I'm just kiddin'" he grinned.

"Oh, _you_!" Tim put his hands to his hips and shook his head with a smile.

"Mr. Kaiba," I bowed, Mokuba stepping into the room. "Good morning, s-sir."

"Morning, Mr. Nochi, Mr. Ihansha. Just wanted to let you guys know that everything's set for later today. We've taken the boat back from Rogét, and we've secured the power source as well. I've arranged for our staff members to escort you from the stadium back to KaibaCorp once you've finished your Duels, and I'm more than confident that we should be able to send you off there without a hitch." Mokuba explained.

"Thank you, Mr. Kaiba. I-I, I… I do appreciate it." I bowed once more.

"No problem at all," he smiled. "The Council might not like it, but a deal's a deal. Best of luck with your Duels today." Mokuba's eyes suddenly widened, and he looked down at the door handle on the floor. "Uh… don't worry about that either…!" he said, scratching the back of his head.

"Cheers, Mokubro!" Tim gave him a thumbs up and Mokuba went on his way. "You ready?" Tim asked, holding out his fist. I nodded and Tim twisted his fist to the side. "C'mon, don't leave me hangin'"

I pursed my lips together, giving his fist a quick tap with my right. I grabbed my tournament Deck, slotting it into my Duel Disk before placing my hand down on the Deck Box containing my counterpart's Deck.

"Please be with me…" I whispered, leaving the hotel room for the last time.

* * *

"Welcome, one and all, to the final day of the Friendship Tag Cup! This will certainly be a day for the history books!" Melissa announced to the packed stadium; their cheers almost deafening. "Out of the sixteen fantastic teams who entered this fantastic tournament, two incredible teams remain, and only one will go on to challenge Jack Atlas for his title of Duel King! The first team is Tyler Nochi and Tim Ihansha, the self-professed interdimensional travelers who, win or lose have _certainly_ made a name for themselves here in Neo Domino City!"

"I'm gonna miss gettin' praised like this!" Tim smiled at me.

"And the second no-less-impressive team is Yuya Sakaki and Zuzu Boyle, the Entertainment Dueling duo who have shown incredible mastery of all kinds of Summoning techniques!"

"Well I don't feel so good no more… now that I know they're 'no-less-impressive'…" Tim sniffed, pouting his lips, and I honestly couldn't tell if he was joking or being serious.

I looked over at our opponents, Yuya looking as though it didn't even register to him where he was, the expression on his face a far cry from the look of anger, rage and sadism he had during his Duel against Yugo and Celina. Zuzu stood with him, holding one of his hands in hers. "Yuya…" Zuzu muttered. Yuya blinked quickly, as though Zuzu saying his name had brought him back from another world.

I didn't want to speak. I didn't like to speak (anymore), but in spite of that, I found myself walking across the Duel Field over to them. "Yuya…" I muttered, my mouth hung open like an idiot, "h-how are you feeling?" I asked.

"So you saw me…?" Yuya muttered, turning away. "Zuzu told me what happened. What I did. How I acted."

"Yuya…" Zuzu muttered once more, looking at him forlornly. "The Entertainment Duels we learned at You Show Duel School… were never, _are_ never to inflict pain."

"I know…" Yuya muttered. "I'm sorry, Zuzu, for making you worry about me."

"I'm never _not_ going to worry about you, Yuya, you're…" she trailed off, a smile gradually easing itself onto her face. I found myself start to smile as well, realizing how stupid I'd been for not realizing Luna used to smile at me in the same way.

"Hey," I said softly, "I'd like to think I'd be the last person to get on someone's case for acting a little crazy, so don't worry about it." I told Yuya.

"I… I…" Yuya sighed. "We made up our minds that… that we'd make everyone smile by winning the Friendship Tag Cup. Th-that we'd beat you guys, beat Jack, and prove to everyone here how wonderful Entertainment Duels can be. But I can't… I can't do that anymore…"

"Yuya…" Zuzu muttered, letting go of Yuya's hand. "I was really worried yesterday. I saw something in you I'd only caught glimpses of before back home. But I know that that's not you. Whatever stress or anger you're feeling, you're not alone. I know you feel like these Duels are all that you have left of your father, and you want everyone to smile for his sake, because that's how Dueling should be, but you shouldn't smile because it's what your dad would want… y-you should smile because… because you have a beautiful smile. A smile I… love…" Zuzu took hold of Yuya's hand once more, moving his hand up to her mouth and pressing her lips against it with a smile.

"Zuzu…!" Yuya gasped, turning to his partner. "After yesterday, I… I just…"

"Mate, you'd never be able to beat us in the first place," Tim's voice came from behind me, "but that doesn't mean you gotta throw in the towel here. I'm sure the people here would have far more respect for you as a combatant than if you just gave up. After all, you wouldn't want the memories of their last Duel of you to be the one where you went insane in the membrane, right? Wouldn't you rather 'em see you Duel at your best? You _want_ these people to smile, right?"

Yuya looked into Tim's eyes, seemingly captivated by the redhead's words, before turning to Zuzu and gazing into her eyes. "Y-yes…! I want… I want…" Yuya took a deep breath, pulling Zuzu to him and cupping her face in his hands, quickly pressing his lips against hers. Zuzu slowly closed her eyes, moving her hands to cup Yuya's, small sounds escaping her lips.

I turned away from them to give them a little privacy, but I'm pretty sure Tim stared right at them while they kissed.

"Yuya…!" Zuzu breathed, the pink-haired girl breaking the kiss with a smile.

"Zuzu…" Yuya smiled back. "I love your smile too… I'm glad I'm able to make you smile. I want to make everyone here smile, and I'll do that by Dueling with you, and winning! Zuzu, let's do our best!" Yuya said to his partner. Zuzu nodded.

"That's the spirit!" Tim grinned, giving our opponents a thumbs up before leading me back to the other side of the Duel Field. "A battle's so much more fun when everyone's fightin' at their best." Tim said to me.

"Aww, did you hear that everyone?!" Melissa called. "Tim's words and Yuya's actions echo the sentiments I'm _sure_ we all carry here today! In this stadium, in this City, today, we're united as one! Commoner and Topsider! We're all friends! We love each other!" the MC cheered, only to once again elicit boos from various members of the crowd, only for _that_ to quickly be swallowed up by cheers and applause from the majority, more than likely swayed by the tender moment between Yuya and Zuzu.

I took a deep breath and activated my Duel Disk.

" _Duel_!"

[Tim & Tyler: 8000 LP]  
[Yuya & Zuzu: 8000 LP]

"I'll start by N-Normal Summoning Rapid-Fire Magician in Attack Position," I said, the robe-wearing sorcerer appeared on my side of the field [ATK: 1600], "next, I'll Set one card face-down, and then I'll activate the Field Spell Card Array of Revealing Light!" as I placed the card down onto the field, a protective seal of light rose up, illuminating the Duel Field. "As long as this card remains face-up, no Monster of one type I ch-choose is able to attack on the turn th-that it's Summoned, so, I select Fairy-type as my target." I smiled, knowing full-well about Zuzu's Melodious Monsters all being Fairy-type. "That'll do it for me. I e-e-end my turn."

"I'll show you that together, Yuya and I can definitely win! Draw!" Zuzu shouted, drawing. "I activate my Spell Card, 1st Movement Solo! This allows me to Special Summon a Melodious Monster from my hand! Sonata the Melodious Diva, appear now in Attack Position!" a yellow-skinned woman appeared on Zuzu's field, hands clasped together, humming to herself [ATK: 1200]. "Now, my Sonata's effect activates: since she was Special Summoned, as long as she's on the field, all Fairy Monsters will gain five hundred Attack and Defense Points." [Sonata the Melodious Diva: ATK: 1700] "I'll Set one card and end my turn."

"Alrighty vegemity!" Tim drew from his Deck. "I Set a Monster in Defense Position, and then Set two cards face-down. I'll also switch Rapid-Fire Magician into Defense Position as well." Rapid-Fire crouched down [DEF: 1200]. "I endth my turnth."

I chuckled. I don't know why I found that funny. I just did.

"Alright! My turn! Draw!" Yuya shouted, "I Summon Performapal Friendonkey in Attack Position-"

"Yeah, I don't even care what it is. I activate Tyler's face-down, Solemn Warning." Tim said simply, tapping on the screen of his pad as my Trap Card flipped up, Yuya's sly-smiling donkey disappearing as light shone down onto it from above.

"Y-you do realize that costs us two thousand Life Points, right?" I asked Tim.

[Tim & Tyler: 6000 LP]

"From my hand, I activate a Spell Card, Monster Reborn!" Yuya shouted, an ankh appearing on his field. "This card allows me to revive a Monster from the Graveyard! So I'll now call back Performapal Friendonkey!" the ankh disappeared in a flash, Yuya's donkey having taken its place [ATK: 1600].

"God damn it…" I whispered before sighing. We wasted a quarter of our Life Points getting rid of one Monster that probably wasn't even worth the cost, only for Yuya to _immediately_ Summon it back to the field.

"Battle!" Yuya pointed toward our field. "Performapal Friendonkey attacks Rapid-Fire Magician!" Yuya shouted, his donkey rushing forward and 'comically' headbutting my Spellcaster in the groin, who collapsed on the ground before fizzling away. "Now I'll use Zuzu's Sonata and attack your Set card!"

Tim's Set Monster flipped up, revealing Witch of the Black Forest [DEF: 1200], who was quickly dispatched as well. "Thanks," Tim smiled, "now I get to add a card from my Deck to my hand." Tim retrieved the head of Exodia the Forbidden One, showed it to Yuya, Zuzu and me, and then added it to his hand.

"I'll Set two cards and end my turn." Yuya said.

"I play my face-down Jar of Greed!" Tim shouted, flinging his hand out as the red and gold jar appeared on Tim's field before shattering. "This card lets me draw one card from my Deck."

I watched Tim draw, and then I followed suit, drawing for my Draw Phase. "I Normal Summon Time Wizard!" The purple-cloaked red clock appeared on my field [ATK: 500]. "Next, I activate Time Wizard's effect: a c-coin is tossed, and if I call it right, your Monsters are destroyed! If not, _my_ Monsters are destroyed, a-a-and th-then we'll t-take damage!" I looked down at the display on my Duel Disk, a coin appearing on the screen, showing a skull head for heads, and a time machine for tails. "I'll call t-t-t-tails!" I called across to them as I tapped the screen and the coin was tossed, landing and then showing the result on screen. Tails. " _Yes_!" I shouted, perhaps a little too enthusiastically, Time Wizard raising his wand into the air as Yuya's and Zuzu's Monsters faded out of existence. "I enter m-m-m-my Battle Phase! Time Wizard, attack!" I shouted, only for Yuya to fling his hand out.

"I reveal my Quick-Play Spell Card, Illusion Balloons!" he shouted. "Since you destroyed a Monster with your Time Wizard's effect, I can activate this card to excavate the top five cards of my Deck, and then Special Summon a Performapal Monster _if_ one is among the cards I excavate."

" _Excavate_?" Tim asked. "Are we diggin' for bones now or something?" My eyes widened as five different-colored balloons appeared on the field, each of them popping and revealing themselves to be empty, except for one. Yuya picked up the top five cards from his Deck, before placing one of them on his Duel Disk.

"Performapal Hip Hippo, come on out!" Yuya shouted, a pink top hat-wearing hippopotamus appeared on Yuya's field, getting up on its hind legs and taking a bow [ATK: 800].

"Then I'll c-c-cancel my attack and end my t-turn." I told him.

"Nice work, Yuya." Zuzu encouraged, drawing from her Deck. "Battle! I attack Time Wizard with Yuya's Performapal Hip Hippo!" Yuya's Monster bucked at my Time Wizard with its hind legs, disarming its wand and destroying the clock face.

[Tim & Tyler: 5700 LP]

"I end my turn."

Tim drew. "I play the Spell Card Graceful Charity, allowing me to draw three cards so long as I discard two." An angel appeared on Tim's field as he drew three cards, discarding Shard of Greed and Right Leg of the Forbidden One to the Graveyard. "Next I reveal my face-down card, Reckless Greed! _This_ card lets me draw _another_ two cards, so long as we now skip our next two Draw Phases." A chest of gold appeared on the field, Tim drawing two cards as it disappeared. "Now, I play Monster Reincarnation, discarding Left Leg of the Forbidden One to bring Rapid-Fire Magician to my hand. Now go!" Tim shouted, Normal Summoning Rapid-Fire Magician back to the field [ATK: 1600]. " _Attack_!"

My magician raised his two staffs into the air as he became surrounded by different-colored orbs pulsing with energy, one of them shooting forward and piercing through Yuya's hippo.

[Yuya & Zuzu: 7200 LP]

"I end my turn." Tim smiled.

"Okay, my turn!" Yuya shouted, drawing. "I Set a Monster face-down, and Set one card in my backrow. That ends my turn."

I flinched, instinctively about to draw when I remembered I wasn't supposed to. I shook my head before throwing my hand out. "I Normal Summon M-M-M-M-M-Mythical Beast Cerberus!" a swirl of blue wind appeared on the field, breaking away to reveal a two-headed beast, a yellow magic seal appearing on the ground at its form [ATK: 1400]. "Rapid-Fire Magician, attack!" I shouted, Yuya's Set Monster [Performapal Gongato: DEF: 100] getting destroyed as another one of my Spellcaster's orbs passed through it. However, instead of it going to the Graveyard, it got placed on the top of Yuya's Extra Deck.

"I play my Trap Card, Performapal Revival! Now since a Performapal Monster was destroyed, I can call out a Performapal Monster to take its place! Return once more, Performapal Friendonkey!" Yuya's donkey returned to the field with a snicker [ATK: 1600].

"I end my turn." I grumbled.

"My turn! Draw!" Zuzu shouted, doing just that. "Performapal Friendonkey attacks Cerberus!" Yuya's donkey once again charged forward, this time nipping the jackal head of my Monster in its side, its eyes comically bulging out as I let out a puff of air, the yellow magic seal disappearing.

[Tim & Tyler: 5500 LP]

I looked over to Tim, who was running his hand along his scar with a smile, and then at Yuya, who had a wide unthreatening smile on his face.

At least they were enjoying themselves. I mean, I was too, to a point, I was just a little irritated that we couldn't get ahead, and I wasn't really a fan of Yuya's circus Monsters. For one thing, I found the expression of Yuya's Performapal Friendonkey to be _incredibly_ annoying.

"I Set a Monster," Zuzu continued, "and that will end my turn."

Tim moved his head around, loosening his neck. "I attack your Set Monster with Rapid-Fire Magician!" Tim shouted, Zuzu's Set Monster [Sonata the Melodious Diva: DEF: 1000] getting blown apart by my magician's twin staffs. "I'll then Set one Monster and end my turn."

"My turn! Draw!" Yuya shouted. "Friendonkey attacks your Set Monster!" Yuya's Monster charged forward, bowling over Tim's Set Monster, a Sangan [DEF: 600].

Tim smiled. "Thanks for gettin' rid o' my Sangan. Now I get to add another Monster to my hand." Tim added Left Arm of the Forbidden One to his hand, but not before showing it to Yuya, Zuzu and myself.

"That's fine. I'll Tribute my Friendonkey to Set another Monster in its place, and then Set one more card face-down. I end my turn."

I sighed, happy that Yuya's Friendonkey was off the field, and that I was able to draw again. "W-w-w-w-well if you're going to Tribute Summon, so will I!" I shouted, drawing. I wanted to sound confident, but thanks to my stutter, I probably came across as anything but. "I Tribute Rapid-Fire Magician to Summon Chaos Command Magician!" Rapid-Fire Magician knelt down, bowing his head as he disappeared, a great magician adorned in green taking the field, a green magic seal appearing in the sky above him [ATK: 2400]. "N-now I enter my Battle Phase! Chaos Command Magician, attack!"

Yuya's Set card was flipped up, revealing a Spellcaster of his own. "Sorry," he smiled, "but my Stargazer Magician has the same amount of Defense Points as your Chaos Command Magician does in Attack Points." [Stargazer Magician: DEF: 2400].

I exhaled, Yuya's magician shrugging off a blast from my magician's scepter. A stalemate. "Alright, I Set one card face-down," I said, Setting Dark Hole face-down so that either Tim or I could use it later, if there were no other ways around his Monster. "I end my turn."

"I play my face-down Mystical Space Typhoon!" Yuya shouted, a cyclone blowing away the Dark Hole I'd just Set.

"Damn it…" I whispered once more, though part of me wondered why Yuya didn't use it to get rid of my Array of Revealing Light.

Zuzu drew, looking out at the field. "I pass my turn." She said simply. I was starting to get a little worried about Zuzu. She wasn't playing very many cards of her own; opting instead to use Yuya's to attack. It wasn't really a strategy I'd seen her use in the tournament, but she was obviously planning something.

"I draw!" Tim shouted. "I'll Set a card and end my turn."

"Alright, _I_ draw!" Yuya shouted. "I Set one Monster and end my turn."

I drew from my Deck. Another Time Wizard. I contemplated using its effect, but eventually decided against it, deeming the risk too great. I kept it in my hand, glancing at Tim who I knew would happily take the risk, but I decided to play it relatively safe. "I'll enter my Battle Phase and attack your Set Monster with Chaos Command Magician!" I shouted, my magician raising his scepter into the air as green light rained down on Yuya's Set Monster [Performapal Thunderhino: DEF: 1800] and destroyed it. "I end my turn."

"I hope you're prepared!" Zuzu shouted, drawing. "I activate the Spell Card Polymerization, fusing my Aria the Melodious Diva with my Canon the Melodious Diva – both in my hand," Zuzu's Monsters appeared on the field before rising into the air, harmonizing with each other as they became silhouettes of orange and purple light that began swirling around each other. "Let your harmonies ring and melodies flow! Follow the baton and show your power! I Fusion Summon Schuberta the Melodious Maestra!" The light settled, and a rather extravagant-looking female Monster stood in its place [ATK: 2400].

I was quite worried for a moment, but then I remembered my Array of Revealing Light Field Spell prevented her from attacking. Plus, I realized, that Zuzu wouldn't attack my Chaos Command Magician with her anyway, since she'd committed three cards from her hand to bring her out, and probably wouldn't want her to be destroyed right away, lest she waste those three, now four, cards.

I exhaled shakily. "I've got to adm-m-mit… you're keeping me on my toes. B-B-B-But don't forget that your M-M-M-Monster's got the same Attack Points as my Chaos Command Magician. Plus, with Array of R-R-Revealing Light on our field, Schuberta can't attack this turn anyway."

Zuzu smiled. "You're right that I'm unable to attack, but as for Schuberta having the same Attack Points as your magician, well, that's about to change! I activate Schuberta's effect, allowing me to Banish three cards from your Graveyard to increase her Attack Points! I Banish Solemn Warning, Graceful Charity and Witch of the Black Forest!" Zuzu's Monster raised her baton into the air [Schuberta the Melodious Maestra: ATK: 3000].

"Holy crap…" I muttered.

"That's not all!" Zuzu flung her hand out. "I activate the Spell Card Winged Trumpeter to further increase Schuberta's Attack Points by five hundred!" a tiny angel appeared on the field, playing softly on a trumpet as Schuberta raised her baton into the air once more [Schuberta the Melodious Maestra: ATK: 3500].

"That's Numberwang!" Tim smiled.

"But wait! There's more! I play Cestus of Dagla, equipping it to Schuberta and increasing her Attack Points by _another_ five hundred!" Zuzu's Monster traded in her baton for a pair of wind-and-fire wheels [Schuberta the Melodious Maestra: ATK: 4000].

"Four thousand Attack Points…" I muttered.

"I'll Set one card face-down and end my turn." Zuzu said, her hand now empty.

I noted that all of Zuzu's cards that she'd had in her hand had now been used, and I looked at the Time Wizard in my hand, regretting not having played him in my last turn. After all, Zuzu probably wouldn't have attacked using Yuya's Monster, opting instead to keep it in Defense Position, so we would have been safe at least for a turn, and either way, Time Wizard or no Time Wizard, we would have lost on our next turn anyway. It would have been better for me just to play the damn thing and take the fifty-fifty chance on its effect.

I sighed, turning to my partner. "Hope you've got something for this, Tim."

"You know it." Tim smiled, looking down at his Duel Disk as he drew. "Come on, Deck Bros…" Tim's smile widened, revealing to us the card he drew – Right Leg of the Forbidden One – along with his entire hand, consisting solely of Exodia pieces.

Tim laid out the Exodia pieces onto his Duel Disk, each of Exodia's limbs along with his head and body appeared on the field, joining together and breaking free of their constraints. Exodia formed a ball of light between his hands, throwing it forward and, well, obliterating all of Yuya's and Zuzu's Monsters, along with their Life Points.

[Yuya & Zuzu: 0 LP]

"We're not through yet!" Tim smiled, looking up at his massive Monster as he pointed to a spot in the sky behind him. "Exodia, be a top bloke and get rid o' those paratroopers too…!"

"Paratroopers?" I asked, Exodia throwing another blast of light off into the sky behind him. I followed the light to see it collide with a group of young men adorned in blue, and while I couldn't get a really good look at their outfits, I assumed they belonged to the same group of people that tried to card Tim and me the day before.

Explosions flew overhead, but the sound of them was quickly drowned out by the cheers of the audience.

"Good shot, mate." Tim praised Exodia, the titanic Monster fading away only moments later, along with the rest of our cards on the field.

"The winners! The winners of the finals are Tyler Nochi and _Tim Ihansha_!" Melissa cheered. "What a way to end it! Zuzu breaking through a stalemate with a four thousand Attack Point Monster only for Tim to pull out the win by once again Summoning Exodia the Forbidden One! _Amazing_!" Melissa gushed.

Tim was uncharacteristically mute in both expression and voice as Melissa praised him, and I noticed the redhead's eyes were locked to the other side of the Duel Field where Declan Akaba, head of the Lancers, had made himself known to our opponents.

"Yuya, Zuzu…" Declan said. "You both did well. I'm proud of you."

"Declan?" Yuya asked.

"I would have had to change our plans anyway." I heard him say. "There've been reports of Obelisk Force members being sighted in Neo Domino City. It's time. We have to go and rescue Celina from The Facility."

"The _Facility_?" Zuzu questioned.

"She's being held there by Rogét right now. We need to go and rescue her, along with Gong, Sylvio and everyone else who lost in the tournament." Declan explained. "Then, when we're all together again, we'll meet up with the High Council and discuss our next move." Declan looked over at Tim, the redhead giving Declan a passing two-finger salute as Yuya and Zuzu were led off of the Duel Field.

"T-T-Tim…" I stammered. "Do you know wh-wh-what's going on?"

Tim nodded. "Nothin' you need to concern yourself with though. _Our_ toughest battle's comin' up. The King's left his throne."

"And now, the moment we've all been waiting for! The long-awaited final Duel of the Friendship Tag Cup! I don't know about you guys, but I can hardly hide my excitement! _Woo_!" Melissa cheered. "To have made it all this way, Tyler Nochi and Tim Ihansha are the real deal, there's no doubt! But will they be able to knock the King off his throne? Or will another page be added to the King's history books?!"

A song started to play, which I quickly recognized as Avenged Sevenfold's 'Hail to the King', as spotlights moved from one side of the stadium to the other.

"And now, here he is! The star of Neo Domino City! _Ja~ack Atla~as~_!"

A cascade of fire came down from the other end of the stadium as Jack burst through it, atop his familiar Duel Runner, the Wheel of Fortune. Jack's Duel Runner landed with a thud and he skidded to a stop across from us. Jack moved one of the arms of his Duel Runner up as he moved out from inside it, pointing a finger up into the sky.

"There is only _one_ King of Neo Domino City!" he declared, the audience roaring in approval.

"How come _he_ gets a song?" Tim whined.

"Look at that! Jack's appearance alone has captured the hearts of not only everyone here in the Seto Kaiba Memorial Circuit, but the hearts of everyone in Neo Domino City, I'm sure!" Melissa cheered, though I could hear a little bit of booing now too, most likely from Commoners in the audience. "Now, since this is a two-on-one Tag Duel, King Atlas's starting Life Points will equal-"

" _Please_!" Jack scoffed. "I don't need _any_ sort of handicap against _these two_. The standard four thousand Life Points is _more_ than sufficient, I assure you."

"O-oh…! Alright, if you're sure…" Melissa muttered as Jack turned to face the audience and began to monologue, Tim and I taking the opportunity to reset our Duel Disks and reshuffle our Decks.

"Everyone should know that I am the true Duel King, but if there are any doubters left among you – Commoner or Topsider – then let this Duel prove to you my power!" Jack suddenly became uncharacteristically quiet. "When I was younger, I felt as though I was a bird caged in, wanting to free itself and soar to new heights. I knew that I was born to Duel… Not to be bound by what other people thought of me as a native of the Commons. I knew that if I worked hard and aimed for the top, I could reach it by believing in my own power. I always knew it wouldn't be easy, but I fought for the role, for the title of King of Neo Domino City, and _now_!" Jack announced, turning back to myself and Tim, pointing a finger square between the two of us, "I'll show you what the King has become! Let's Duel!"

[Tim & Tyler: 8000 LP]  
[Jack: 4000 LP]

"As the challengers, you get to go first!" Jack stated proudly, obviously confident in his skills, and he had every reason to be.

Tim turned to me and nodded, motioning for me to take the first turn. I looked down at the cards in my hand. "Okay, I Set t-two cards face-down, and Normal Summon Summoner Monk! When Summoner Monk is Normal or Flip Summoned, he's automatically switched to Defense Position." the purple-robed blue-skinned priest appeared seated on my field, pressing his hands together as he became cloaked in a mystical veil [DEF: 1600]. "That'll do it for m-m-me."

"That's all? I'll show you how much better _I_ am!" Jack shouted, drawing. "I Set one Monster face-down, and then one more card in my backrow. I end my turn."

"You… you just did _less_ than him…" Tim pointed out, but when his comment got no response from Jack, he sighed, drawing. " _What_ ever." Tim drew. "I activate the effect of Tyler's Summoner Monk. By discarding a Spell Card from my hand, I can Special Summon a Level Four Monster from my Deck. I discard Graceful Charity to call Witch of the Black Forest from my Deck to the field!" Tim's familiar witch appeared, crouching [DEF: 1200]. "Finally, I'll Set a Monster in Defense Position, and one more card face-down too."

"You underestimate the abilities of the King! I draw!" Jack shouted. "I Summon Phantom King Hydride in Attack Position!" my eyes widened as Jack played a card I'd never seen him use before, and a sinister-looking knight on horseback appeared on his field, holding aloft a great sword [ATK: 1500]. "Let's get this battle going! Phantom King Hydride attacks Witch of the Black Forest! _Dead Man's Volley_!"

Jack's Monster charged forward, but Tim tapped on his tablet. "I play Tyler's face-down Mirror Force!" he shouted, my Trap Card revealing itself as a barrier appeared around us, Jack's Phantom King Hydride crashing into it, destroyed.

Jack laughed. "Wasting a Trap Card like Mirror Force on one Monster?! You're not fit to be the Duel King! I Set one card and end my turn-"

"I play my Jar of Greed!" Tim threw his hand out. "This card lets me draw a card from my Deck." Tim drew, and then at the start of my turn, so did I.

"I Set one card face-down, and activate Summoner Monk's effect: I discard Dark Hole from my hand to call Defender, the Magical Knight to the field in Defense Position!" the paladin clad in blue armor appeared on my field, its massive shield hopefully enough to keep Jack at bay [DEF: 2000].

"Is that all you're going to do? Play defensively until your partner can draw the pieces of Exodia into his hand? Such a cowardly gambit!" Jack spat.

I clenched my gauntlet into a fist. He was right, but he didn't have to be such a dick about it. It wasn't my fault he knew all about mine and Tim's Decks and we knew pretty much nothing about his. "I end my turn."

"Cower all you like, but my power will break through your cowardice! Power is everything! My turn! Draw!" Jack shouted. "I activate my Powerful Rebirth Trap Card, allowing me to revive one of my Monsters from the Graveyard! Phantom King Hydride! Return from the brink of oblivion! Wield your power!" Jack's Monster reappeared, its sinister eyes gazing at me. "Not only has my Monster returned from the Graveyard, but Powerful Rebirth increases his Attack and Defense Points by one hundred and increases his Level by one!" [Phantom King Hydride: LV: 4: ATK: 1600]. "Now, I Normal Summon Dark Resonator to the field!" I was actually pretty relieved at the sight of a familiar Monster on Jack's field [ATK: 1300]. "Bow down before my power! Dark Resonator attacks Witch of the Black Forest!"

Jack's Monster flew forward, impaling Tim's witch with its pitchfork, but since it had just been my turn, only I was able to activate the Monster's effect. "I-I-I play Witch of the Black Forest's effect a-a-and add D-D-Dark Armed Dragon to my hand." I stammered, fumbling over my words as I added the card to my hand.

Jack didn't seem to even care however, moving to attack once more. "Go! Phantom King Hydride! Attack Tim's Set Monster!"

Jack's Phantom King charged forward as Tim's Set Monster was revealed – another Witch of the Black Forest [DEF: 1200], allowing me once again to add another Monster to my hand from the Deck. It also meant that Tim wouldn't be able to use her effect to add Exodia pieces to his hand, which was obviously all part of Jack's strategy. "I add Mythical Beast Cerberus to my hand." I told him, selecting the card on my screen.

"I end my turn!" Jack smiled.

Tim drew. "You know, Mr. Atlantis, you call this one a coward for defending himself, but it seems to me like _you're_ the coward. After all, you're trying to end this Duel before I can bring out Exodia. Doesn't that make _you_ a coward?"

Jack snickered. "That's _King Atlas_ to you, and I'm not going to take Dueling advice from someone who's only been playing for a week _and_ whose Deck focuses on one of the cheapest strategies in the entire game."

Tim tilted his head. "You're very proud for someone who's done nothing to be proud of."

Jack twitched. "What would you know?! In order to walk the path of King, I abandoned everything, threw it all away so that I could drag myself out of the bottom of the world!"

"And look where it's gotten you: King of a Lofty Castle crumbling before your very eyes amidst a society at war with itself and oblivious to any dangers outside it." Tim chuckled. "Some King…"

"Are you going to make a move or not?!" Jack barked.

"Well, if you _insist_ … I play Graceful Charity! This card lets me draw three cards from my Deck, and then discard two to the Graveyard!" as the brunette angel appeared, Tim drew three, and then discarded two – a Shard of Greed and Right Arm of the Forbidden One. "Next, I play Tyler's face-down! Fissure! Destroying your Dark Resonator!" A hole opened up from the ground and Jack's Dark Resonator was dragged into it. "Now, I switch Defender, the Magical Knight into Attack Position, enter my Battle Phase, and attack your Set Monster with Defender!" my Monster stood tall [ATK: 1600] as Jack's Set Monster was revealed to be Red Duston [DEF: 1000] and its underside was slit by my paladin's short sword.

"When Red Duston is destroyed, I take five hundred points of damage." Jack explained.

[Jack: 3500 LP]

"I end my turn." Tim smiled with false endearment.

Jack returned the smile in kind, drawing. "I'll show you some far-reaching power! I call forth Power Supplier in Attack Position!" a weird-looking purple-robed man appeared on Jack's field, a gasoline dispenser hooked up to its shoulders [ATK: 400]. "Next, I activate my Power Supplier's effect: I can Target a Monster I control, and then its Attack Points increase by four hundred! I target my Phantom King to increase its Attack Points!" Power Supplier rushed to the side of the Phantom King, jabbing the horse with its dispenser [Phantom King Hydride: ATK: 2000]. "Battle time! Phantom King Hydride! Attack Defender!"

Jack's Phantom King charged toward us, my paladin unfortunately no match for Jack's Monster.

[Tim & Tyler: 7600 LP]

"I end my turn."

I drew, "I activate the effect of Dark Armed Dragon from my hand! Because our Graveyard contains exactly three Dark Attribute Monsters, I'm a-a-able to Special Summon him! Come forth, Dark Armed Dragon!" three black orbs rose up from the ground, circling each other before swirling around as the black and gray dragon appeared on my field with a demonic roar [ATK: 2800]. "Next, I Set one card face-down, and then Normal Summon Mythical Beast Cerberus!" a two-headed creature appeared next to my dragon, much smaller by comparison, though equally as useful [ATK: 1400]. "N-now I enter my Battle Phase! Dark Armed Dragon! Attack Phantom King Hydride!"

My dragon roared, only to be cut off by Jack. "I'll show you what it means to be the King! I activate my Trap Card! Prideful Roar! If I pay Life Points equal to the difference in Attack Points between our two battling Monsters, then _my_ Monster gains that same amount plus three hundred _extra_ Attack Points!"

[Jack: 2700 LP]

"What?!" I shouted, Jack's Monster suddenly getting a huge surge of power [Phantom King Hydride: ATK: 3100] as my Dark Armed Dragon was ripped to shreds by the knight's sword.

[Tim & Tyler: 7300 LP]

I exhaled, not letting the result of the battle deter me. I reminded myself, after all, that I could still get in one good attack, thanks in part to the Dimension's rule about not being able to Normal Summon in face-up Defense Position.

"I-in that case, I'll attack your Power Supplier with Mythical Beast Cerberus!" My Monster leapt into the air, pouncing on Jack's comparatively weak Monster, mauling him to death.

[Jack: 1700 LP]

"Why you…!" Jack's eyes narrowed, and he sounded discernibly irritated.

"Betcha wish you had that handicap now, huh Atlantis?" Tim teased.

"I end my turn." I said as firmly as I could.

"I will not be defeated by the likes of you! Draw!" Jack shouted. "It's time! I Normal Summon Red Gardna in Attack Position!" an ornate red shield appeared on Jack's field [ATK: 0].

"Really?" Tim laughed. " _Zero_ Attack Points?"

"W-wait a minute…" I muttered, looking down at the screen on my Duel Disk. "It's Level Four…"

"You idiots!" Jack snapped. "I'll carve defeat into both of your souls! Phantom King Hydride, Level Four tunes with Red Gardna, Level Four!" Jack's knight broke away as his shield flowed through it.

"No…" I whispered, the silhouette of a familiar dragon coming through the light.

"Heaven and Earth shall tremble before the King's Might. Let the power of the one and only supreme ruler be carved into your soul! I Synchro Summon Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend!" Jack roared, a variant of _my_ Jack's Ace Monster appearing opposite us, roaring boisterously [ATK: 3000].

" _Scarlight_?" I asked, my eyes looking up and down the damaged frame of the dragon, the differences in its form to the one I knew were striking. So much so that I completely forgot about my face-down card.

Jack laughed. "Prepare to feel the might of the King! Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend! Attack Mythical Beast Cerberus! _Scarlight Hellfire_!" flames sprayed from the mouth of Jack's dragon, engulfing my Monster. I jumped back from the flames, blazing across our section of the Duel Field.

[Tim & Tyler: 5700 LP]

"No matter how good you _think_ you are, everyone is powerless before the King, and _you're_ no different. I Set one card face-down and end my turn."

Tim drew. "I've taken down bigger dragons than _that_ in my day. Your Archfiend's nothin'! I Set one Monster face-down and end my turn."

Jack drew with an almost callous smile. "Do you want another taste of my Scarlight's power?" he asked softly before raising his voice. "I enter my Battle Phase! Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend! Attack Tim's Set Monster! _Scarlight Hellfire_!" once again, Jack's Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend breathed a wave of fire across the Duel Field. Tim's Sangan [DEF: 600] was obliterated immediately, but Tim himself stood his ground, the fire parting around the redhead, Tim completely unfazed and unharmed.

"T-Tim…" I muttered.

"I add Exodia the Forbidden One to my hand." He smiled, fishing it out of his Deck, it too unharmed from the flames.

Jack twitched. "I'll Set one Monster and end my turn."

I drew. "I activate Summoner Monk's effect, discarding Foolish Burial to the Graveyard to Special Summon Royal Magical Library in Defense Position!" a myriad of rising platforms appeared on the field, robed Spellcasters standing on each [DEF: 2000]. "I end my turn."

"How did you even get to this point?" Jack asked me, shaking his head as he drew. "Without paying attention to what your opponent's cards can do?! I play Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend's effect: once per turn, I can destroy as many Special Summoned Effect Monsters on the field as possible that have less than three thousand Attack Points, except for Scarlight, and then, I can inflict five hundred points of damage to you for each Monster destroyed! _Absolute Power Flame_!"

The casted claw of Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend was thrown forward, surrounded by fire, burning my Royal Magical Library, and all the people within it, to cinders.

[Tim & Tyler: 5200 LP]

"Now, Scarlight! Attack Tim's Set Monster!" Jack commanded, Tim's Set Monster, another Sangan [DEF: 600] getting burned alive. And of course, since it had been my turn before, it meant I was unfortunately the one to use Sangan's effect.

"I-I-I add Time Wizard to my hand." I stammered, figuring if there was absolutely no other way of getting around it, using Time Wizard's effect to get rid of Jack's dragon would be better than nothing.

"Then, I'll Set one _more_ Monster face-down and end my turn."

Tim drew, only giving his cards a passing glance. "I end my turn."

Jack drew, chuckling to himself before it turned into a hearty laughter. "That's right. _Submit_. Kneel before the King. But if you thought my _Scarlight_ Red Dragon Archfiend was formidable, just wait until you see what I have next. I Flip Summon my two Set Monsters – Mirror Resonator and Double Resonator!" a pair of Monsters appeared either side of Jack's dragon [ATK: 0].

" _Two_ Tuners…?" I asked myself.

Jack raised his hand into the air, pointing up at the sky. "The King does not falter! Nor does he give anything less than his full power! So now, I'll show everyone here, a Double Tuning Synchro Summon! Touch the soul of the feathered serpent, Quetzalcoatl, and give to the world a cry of creation! I Synchro Summon! _Tyrant Red Dragon Archfiend_!"

A bolt of red lightning came down from the sky, Jack's Resonator Monsters shattering as Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend became enveloped by fire.

A cry I had only heard once or twice in my life, but an unmistakable and unforgettable cry none the less, echoed throughout the arena. It was a cry I'd never thought I'd hear while in another Dimension.

The Crimson Dragon.

My eyes widened as the lightning took the shape of the Crimson Dragon, its form filling out and spilling into Jack's dragon, broadening its features and removing its weakened appearance [ATK: 3500]. "Only the true King may tame the power of the Crimson Dragon, Quetzalcoatl, and as you can see, _I_ have! This is proof that I am the _one true King_ of Neo Domino City!"

I flinched. "N-not this time!" I shouted, turning to Tim. "Tim! My Trap Card!"

"Right." Tim nodded, looking down at his Duel Disk. "I play Tyler's face-down card, Solemn Warning!"

" _What_?!" Jack's eyes widened, more out of rage than surprise.

"By paying two thousand Life Points, my Trap Card can negate the Summon of your Tyrant and then destroy him!" I told him.

[Tim & Tyler: 3200 LP]

Jack's eyes widened as a singular ray of light descended from the sky, enveloping his Monster in a golden glow as it disappeared, his field empty apart from one face-down card.

Jack stood there, mouth agape, silently, vacantly staring at Tim and I for several moments. "I end my turn…"

I drew from my Deck. "I activate the effect of Summoner Monk, discarding the Smashing Ground I just drew to Special Summon Apprentice Magician to the field." The purple-clad magician-in-training appeared on my field for only a brief moment [ATK: 400]. "Now I Tribute my Apprentice Magician to Normal Summon Chaos Command Magician!" The much stronger magician, adorned in green took the place of the apprentice, twirling his scepter above his head [ATK: 2400]. My heart skipped a beat. "Chaos Command Magician! Attack Jack directly!"

My magician had its scepter poised at Jack, only for Jack to yell out in defiance at the top of his lungs. "Did you really think I, _the King_ , would go down like this?! I activate my face-down card, Reject Reborn! When you declare a direct attack with a Monster, this card immediately ends the Battle Phase! Then, I get to Special Summon a Synchro Monster _and_ a Tuner Monster from my Graveyard, but their effects are negated." Jack explained, before thrusting his arm forward. "Return! Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend and Red Gardna!" in an instant, both of Jack's Monsters returned to the field [Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend: ATK: 3000] [Red Gardna: DEF: 2000].

"In that case, I-I-I-I end my turn."

"Even among Kings, _this_ King thinks two steps ahead." Jack drew. "Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend! Attack! _Scarlight Hellfire_!"

Jack's dragon threw its head back before letting loose a volley of fire, my Chaos Command Magician getting unfortunately engulfed in the flames.

[Tim & Tyler: 2600 LP]

"I Set one card and end my turn."

Tim drew, his eyes moving to Jack's Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend, unblinking. "I'll Set a Monster and end my turn."

Jack drew. "Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend! Attack!" Tim's Set Monster – Left Leg of the Forbidden One [DEF: 300] – was reduced to cinders. "Then, for my Main Phase 2, I activate my _own_ copy of Fissure, to destroy your Summoner Monk!" My heart skipped a beat as Summoner Monk, our last line of defense, was ripped away from us. Jack exhaled lengthily. "How's _that_? You have _nothing_ left now! I _end_ my _turn_!"

This was it. Our field was empty, and I had nothing in my hand that could stand up to, or even _protect_ us from Jack's Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend. Yes, I still had my Time Wizard, but Jack knew that, and I'm sure that that's what his face-down card was for. By playing my Time Wizard, I'd be playing right into Jack's hands, I thought. No. The only chance I had left was to topdeck.

"What's wrong?!" Jack called to me. "If you don't want to fight, just surrender!"

"Yeah, you'd like that, wouldn't you?!" Tim shouted back at him.

I tensed my eyes shut. He _would_ like that, if I surrendered, I thought. I had potentially everything to lose and everything to gain if I drew, but it didn't matter to him. He'd thought he'd already won. But I couldn't surrender; I _wouldn't_ , not when I had something to fight for.

I drew quickly, looking down at the card in my hand as I exhaled. "I Set a card and end my turn."

Jack shook his head as he drew. "You might have survived this long, but I'll show you that blindly drawing cards won't accomplish anything! Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend! Attack directly! _Scarlight Hellfire_!"

A torrent of fire rushed toward me from the mouth of Jack's dragon and I flinched, though otherwise standing my ground rather than cowering, tapping the screen on my Duel Disk.

"I activate my Trap Card – Magic Cylinder! This card negates your Monster's attack, and then _you_ take damage equal to your Monster's Attack Points! That's three thousand!" an intricately-decorated cylinder appeared on my field as the attack of Jack's Monster flew through it, before turning and firing it back towards Jack.

"N- _no_! I-" Jack was suddenly silenced by his own voice as he screamed out in pain, the fire of his own dragon clashing against his body before the blond collapsed onto the ground.

[Jack: 0 LP]

"And it's _over_! Jack Atlas's undefeated legend has come to a close! The winners are _Tyler Nochi_ and _Tim Ihansha_! Let's give them a big round of applause for their victory and the teamwork that brought it to _them_ ~!" Melissa's voice broke as it came out through the speakers surrounding the stadium, completely drowning out the mix of shock and awe from the audience, as well as the fireworks that had begun covering the sky.

" _Ye~eah_!" Tim yelled, raising his arms to the air and meeting the audiences' approval with his own.

"I don't _believe_ it…" Jack muttered, a look of complete and utter disbelief on his face, refusing to move from his downed position. "I actually _lost_?! _Me_? _The King_?" Jack grimaced. "Impossible…"

"We have witnessed today the birth of two new Duel Kings! This really _is_ a _historic_ moment, and I am absolutely _honored_ to have been the one to bring it to all of you!" Melissa continued.

I found myself looking over at Jack, his clothing and body horrifically burned, and the expression on his face showing he was absolutely shattered. I had no idea how my Jack looked or felt losing to Yusei in the Fortune Cup, but I imagined it would have been similar to how this Jack must have felt. I actually felt kind of bad. I didn't care about being the King, or co-King or whatever. I just wanted to get home, and unfortunately for Jack, the only way for me to do that was to go through him.

My body shook with each breath. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest and I shakily moved to return all the cards in and on my Duel Disk to my Deck Box, barely even able to keep hold of my cards. I was trembling with excitement and fatigue. It was over.

Tim's enthusiasm was almost overbearing, but the expression of joy on his face brought a smile to mine. He came over to me, lightly punched my shoulder and said "We did it, mate."

Then he did some sort of weird handshake with me and I just let him, laughing as I felt him wiggle a finger inside my palm.

"Ladies and gentlemen, not only have we witnessed perhaps one of the _best_ championship Duels to ever grace the Seto Kaiba Memorial Circuit, but we've witnessed the crowning of _two_ Duel Kings, the passing of a torch, a legacy!"

"That was a great Duel, Jack." Tim grinned at the Former King who looked at the redhead with disgust.

"Don't talk down to me…" Jack grunted, slowly getting to his feet. "True victors don't pity losers. I may have lost today, but you'd both do well to know that should we Duel again in the future, _I_ will be the victor next time." He told us, his feet giving way as he collapsed once more.

"Jack-" I gasped as Tim put a hand on my shoulder, holding me back as a group of paramedics approached from Jack's side of the Duel Field. Jack was helped onto a stretcher and his Duel Runner was wheeled away, trailing behind the incapacitated blond.

"Alright, everyone! We're going to be taking a very quick break, but when we come back, we-" Melissa's voice was cut off as another suddenly took its place, a distorted, almost metallic-sounding voice blasting out across the proceedings.

" _Attention all citizens of Neo Domino City! Attention all citizens of Neo Domino City! Attention all citizens of Neo Domino City! We have assumed control! We have assumed control! We have assumed control!_ "


	13. When Darkness Falls

"So, I guess this means we won't be gettin' a trophy or anythin'…" Tim sighed, clenching his left hand into a fist several times. His right hand was on my chest, holding me at his side as we were surrounded by a small group of Sector Security officers. "Whose doin' is this?!" he called to the group.

"Tyler Nochi, Dimension D-521, you are under arrest for the murder of Kobi Banzu, Dimension S-534." Officer Kurihara spoke, his voice low and devoid of all emotion, the clarity of his eyes distorted by the smoke that covered the formerly clear sky.

"Tim Ihansha, Dimension E-199999, _you_ are under arrest for the murder of several individuals, including but not limited to-" a Dimensional counterpart of Tetsu Trudge started to speak, his voice just barely able to be heard over the sounds of sirens, Tim cutting him off regardless.

"Yeah, listen, mate, it's about to be a lot more than 'several' if you don't get out of our way, 'kay? I'm warnin' ya…" Tim said softly. "Stand down." He told them, but they didn't. Tim sighed once more. "Fine. Don't. Tyler, close your eyes."

"Mhm." I nodded, doing exactly as Tim said, and when I opened my eyes again, the officers were… well, they were either unconscious or dead. My heart skipped a beat. "Tim, d-d-d-d-do y-you have any idea what's going on?" I asked.

"Shit's hittin' the fan, that's what. Those paratroopers I took down after our first Duel today – reconnaissance from the Fusion Dimension. They have way more people here than I thought they did, but _these_ guys… they were all Sector Security, right? So…" Tim shook his head. "Never mind. We gotta get you outta here…!" Tim knelt forward before quickly moving back, causing me to topple over as Tim caught me, basically forcing me to piggyback on him. "No offense, but it'd pro'ly be easier to carry you around like this, instead of having you lag behind me."

My eyes widened as Tim suddenly took off from the Duel Field, turning and running back the way we came through the hall toward the elevator.

"Mr. Nochi, Mr. Ihansha!" a voice called from an intersecting part of the hall, Tim and I turning to see Mokuba approach with a militia of KC Guard following behind him. "I was just coming to get you." Mokuba's voice was quick.

"Mokubro, what the Hell's goin' on?!" Tim snapped.

"I'm sorry," Mokuba apologized, "Rogét's practically gone and declared Martial Law. I think he's totally lost it. He's sent Sector Security out and they're rounding up everybody, Commoner _and_ Topsider! We were able to move the boat from the Securities' Storage Facility to KaibaCorp, and the High Council have barricaded themselves there, waiting for Mr. Akaba and his group to arrive. Not only that, but it looks like more soldiers from the Fusion Dimension have arrived too. They've started carding civilians."

"I know," Tim looked back to the other side of the hall, "I took out a couple paratroopers after our Duel with Yu _yaas_ and ZoomZoom _._ "

"I'm really sorry you two had to get caught up in all of this. None of this is your fight. We need to-" Mokuba dropped to his knees as the hall suddenly shook, the globes of the overhead lights suddenly blowing, glass shards raining down on us as I covered my head and turned down.

"Mokuba Kaiba, Dimension S-534, you are under arrest for committing the act of treason…!" the monotone voice of a Sector Security officer carried from down the hall, four men in blue uniforms approaching from the direction of the Duel Field.

Mokuba put a hand to his head and sighed before pointing to the group of officers. "I have to take these two back to KaibaCorp. Hold them off!" Mokuba ordered, his KC Guard rushing forward to take on Sector Security. Mokuba turned to Tim and I. "Follow me…!" he ushered before taking off down the hall.

"You know, if it was just me here, I'd stay and fight." Tim told me, before following after Mokuba.

I just couldn't believe what was happening. In one moment, the City had been thrown into chaos. I just wanted it all to be over. I thought it was! I did everything that everyone wanted! I didn't complain, I didn't argue, I didn't get up on a soapbox and tell them how fucked up their society was, and now the whole world was turning to shit. And it wouldn't just be here – wasn't just here. If what Declan told me was true, the Xyz Dimension fell to the forces of Fusion in much the same way as what seemed to be happening here. Even if I escaped, I asked myself, then what?

Mokuba skidded to a stop as we reached an elevator, thin red light coming out from the bottom of the door. Mokuba let out a staggered breath as he went to hit the button to open the doors, but another voice called out to him, this one brimming with emotion.

" _Going_ somewhere?" the voice asked, its tone taunting us as we turned to see four glowing circles approach from the darkness. It was only when they came closer that I was able to recognize the familiar masks, blue Duel Academy uniforms, and shield-shaped Duel Disks that the two soldiers wore, their eyes obscured by the red gemstones embedded in their masks. Tim eased me down off his back and cracked his knuckles.

"You're…" Mokuba trailed off.

One of them suddenly stopped, their smile vanishing from their face. "Wait a minute, that's…" I couldn't see their eyes, but they must have been locked on Tim, as they seemed to be facing him. "Hey, we should go…"

His partner turned back to him and scoffed. "You _can't_ be serious."

"N-no, that's… He killed three of our men."

"Well then _we_ card the three of them."

"No way… you can stay if you want, but I'm getting out of here!" the first Duel Soldier seemed to panic, slamming his hand down onto his Duel Disk before disappearing in a flash of blue light.

Tim cocked his head to the side. "Your buddy has the right idea. You should make like a chicken and run."

"I'm not scared of you!" the remaining Duel Soldier snapped, activating his Duel Disk.

"'I'm not scared of you!'" Tim mimicked, imitating the voice of a young child. "That's how _you_ sound, punk-ass bitch…!" Tim spat.

Mokuba put a hand out in front of Tim. " _I'll_ handle this, Mr. Ihansha. You guys can take the fight to them if you want, but this is _my_ Dimension, and while they're here, in _my_ City, _I'll_ be the one to take them down!" Mokuba said proudly, activating his Duel Disk.

"Mokubro…" Tim muttered.

"You _will_ , will you?" his opponent smiled, baring his teeth. "Then let the hunt begin! _Duel_!"

[Mokuba: 4000 LP]  
[?: 4000 LP]

"I activate Instant Fusion! By paying one thousand Life Points, I can Fusion Summon my El Shaddoll Winda! The Goddess pulls the strings of the Priestess, infusing her and her beast with darkness! Come forth, El Shaddoll Winda!"

[?: 3000]

A blue swirl appeared behind Mokuba's opponent, a green-haired puppet-like priestess easing out through the vortex, standing atop a distorted wyrm [ATK: 2200].

"Next, I activate the Equip Spell Nephe Shaddoll Fusion! This card not only lets me change my Winda's Attribute to Light, but I'm also able to Fusion Summon once again! I fuse El Shaddoll Winda on the field with the Shaddoll Hedgehog in my hand! The powers of light and darkness pool themselves together to bring forth the one true Goddess! I Fusion Summon! Come forth, El Shaddoll Construct!"

Winda and Hedgehog rose up into the air, becoming spheres of light and darkness respectively, swirling around each other and growing, mixing together as the conjoined sphere grew. Mokuba's opponent smiled callously as the three of us stepped back, the sphere pressing up against the walls and ceiling of the hall until it all came crumbling down.

I gasped, eyes wide as a piece of the ceiling came straight for me, but Tim moved his right hand out hard and fast, slicing through the debris and batting it away.

"Thanks, Tim…" I breathed quickly.

"Don't mention it." He smiled, though his eyes were fixed on the ever-growing sphere. It had reached a truly titanic size when the sphere cracked, a purple light seeping through. The crack turned into a split and the sphere broke apart, drenching the four of us in purple light. When the light cleared, a monolithic Monster 'dressed' in blue and gold stood in its wake, her form climbing up into the cloudy sky, standing as though she had taken possession of the Earth [ATK: 2800].

I was breathless, the serene expression on her face not at all taking away from her imposing presence. She was probably almost as tall as the Earthbound Immortals. She truly towered over all of us, standing still with her arms outstretched, purple light dripping off her form.

" _Now_ , I activate my Construct's effect: when she's Summoned, I get to send a Shaddoll card from my Deck to the Graveyard. I'll send my Shaddoll Beast to the Graveyard, and now _his_ effect activates, letting me draw a card. Finally, I'll Set one Monster face-down. Your move."

Mokuba exhaled, eyes focused solely on El Shaddoll Construct as he drew. "From my hand, I activate the effect of my Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon: by showing you a Blue-Eyes White Dragon in my hand, I get to Special Summon it to the field!" Mokuba revealed a Blue-Eyes to his opponent only for another to fly in from the sky as he threw an Effect Monster version of the card down onto his Duel Disk, the white dragon roaring [ATK: 3000]. "Now I activate _another_ one of my Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon's effects: once per turn, I can target and destroy one Monster on the field, so guess what's happening to your Construct!"

The Duel Soldier grimaced as Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon roared once more, blue light glistening from its scales and engulfing the comparatively humongous Construct in light, the Fairy vanishing from the field. "All that build up for nothin', hey?" Tim smiled.

Mokuba's opponent grumbled. "When my El Shaddoll Construct is destroyed, I can return my Nephe Shaddoll Fusion card to my hand!" he explained, retrieving the card from his Graveyard.

"You won't need it. I activate the Spell Card Ancient Rules, which allows me to Special Summon the Blue-Eyes White Dragon in my hand!" a second dragon appeared beside the first, letting out its own roar [ATK: 3000]. Mokuba smiled. "And now, I Normal Summon Lord of D." a caped Spellcaster adorned in armor fashioned from the bones of dragons appeared between the two white behemoths, holding one hand out before Mokuba's opponent [ATK: 1200]. "I enter my Battle Phase! Lord of D. Attack!"

Lord of D. threw both his hands out, a powerful radiance flowing from his fingertips and flipping up the opposing side's Set Monster and destroying it [Shaddoll Squamata: DEF: 1000].

"You attacked my Shaddoll Squamata, which means its flip effect activates: I can target a card on your field and destroy it!"

"That's too bad. All you can target is my Lord of D. After all, thanks to _his_ effect, my Dragon Monsters can't be targeted by card effects." Mokuba explained with a grin as Lord of D. was destroyed, leaving his Blue-Eyes free to attack. "Go, Blue-Eyes! _Burst Stream of Destruction_!"

Blue-Eyes roared once more, a stream of white light erupting from the Monster's maw, knocking the Duel Soldier to the ground, his hair singed and his body badly burned.

[?: 0]

A broken squeak passed his lips, his mask broken to reveal the eyes of a terrified teen. He moved shakily to touch his Duel Disk, disappearing in a flash of light just as his partner had done.

"Yeah, that's right! Get the Hell out of my Dimension, you lunatic!" Mokuba spat before sighing, turning back to us, "Are you guys okay?"

"Y-yeah…" I muttered.

"That was awesome, Mokubro!" Tim praised as the Monsters disappeared. "You made that guy your _bitch_!"

Mokuba cracked a smile, scratching the back of his head. "Thanks, but it was nothing. Anyway, we have to keep moving." Mokuba turned back to the elevator, hitting the button to open the doors, but nothing happened. Mokuba hit the button again. "Come on…!" he cringed. "Damn it! The power to the elevator's gone!" Mokuba slammed his hand down on the pad. "The backup must have been messed with during the Duel!" Mokuba exhaled.

"Why do we even need to _use_ the elevator? Thanks to that guy's bae Monster he basically created an exit for us. We can just go out the giant hole it made."

Mokuba shook his head. "If we go out there right now, we'll get caught in the crossfire. I'm sure the Summoning of El Shaddoll Construct has alerted more soldiers from the Fusion Dimension to our positon. It would have been safest if we could have taken the elevator and try to avoid them for now, instead of fighting them directly."

Tim shrugged. "A'ight. Well just 'cause the elevator ain't workin' doesn't mean we can't still use the shaft." He said, kicking the doors in and staring down into the abyss of the shaft. "Long drop…" he muttered, shrugging. "Well I'm game to jump."

"Tyler…!" I heard Apple Magician Girl's voice in my head. "Use me, use us. I'll take you wherever you need to go." She told me. I gasped, looking down at my counterpart's Deck.

"Fizdis… thank you…" I whispered, removing the tournament Deck from my Duel Disk and replacing it with my counterpart's before activating it.

"Mr. Nochi, what are you doing?" Mokuba asked.

"W-we can use our cards. Use Real Solid Vision and have them help us." I said, drawing and placing Apple Magician Girl's card onto my Duel Disk. The dark-haired Magician Girl appeared with a reassuring smile.

"Hey, that's…" Mokuba trailed off. "You didn't tell me you were a fan of Yugi's." he said, drawing a card from his own Deck. "Well if you're going to rock a magician, I'll do you one better! Goddess of Sweet Revenge, come out!" Mokuba called, placing the card onto his Duel Disk as a beautiful green-haired staff-wielding Fairy appeared beside him. Mokuba got down on bended knee, taking the free hand of his Monster in his own. "I request your assistance, My Lady. If you'd please be able to help us reach the Kaiba Corporation by way of the Underground Access Network, it would be much appreciated."

Mokuba's Monster gave him a warm smile and nodded, taking him into her arms. "We'll follow your lead." Apple Magician Girl told them, wrapping her arms around me. I looked up at her, and she looked down at me and smiled.

"Mr. Ihansha, what about you?" Mokuba asked. "You should Summon one of your Monsters too."

"Nah, I'll just jump it." Tim said, and I knew he could do it too.

"Alright." Mokuba looked up at his Monster and nodded as she jumped into the shaft, and even though I was safe in Apple Magician Girl's arms, my heart did race a bit as she walked over to the edge of the floor and the shaft seemed to disappear endlessly down into the abyss.

"It's alright…" Apple Magician Girl cooed, allowing herself to fall forward as she held me to her chest. My heart jumped into my throat and her wings suddenly caught the air, our descent slowing as we followed after Mokuba and the Goddess of Sweet Revenge, themselves barely visible in the darkness.

There were no lights or anything like I'd assumed there would be. In fact the only sources of light that I could see were the hard light blade of my Duel Disk and the staff of Mokuba's Monster, the eyes of which glowed a faint green.

"This way!" Mokuba called up to us, the eyes of his Monster's staff suddenly emitting a great burst of light, illuminating the area in a wash of green. My eyes widened as Goddess of Sweet Revenge suddenly turned, and Apple Magician Girl glided after her, the four of us heading into a passageway.

"Are you okay? I'm not holding you too tight, am I?" Apple Magician Girl asked softly.

"No, no, you're fine. Thanks." I said, patting her arm with one of my hands, refusing to look down at the gap below us or think about how her chest was pressing into my back.

The dulled sounds of explosions, sirens and screaming had disappeared by now, and I noticed the ground quickly coming up to meet us. Mokuba and his Monster had drawn in closer to us.

"Pretty cool, isn't it?" Mokuba smiled. "Almost the entire City is honeycombed with deep tunnels. Most of them are used to transport waste and such to the recycling plant in the Commons to get processed, but this passageway here leads to KaibaCorp. This way, we can evade all the Obelisk Force and Securities running about the City. We've got our own guards stationed at KaibaCorp at the moment, as I suspect Rogét's after the High Council, but I have sent token forces to try and subdue Obelisk Force. They're our highest priority at the moment."

"Obelisk Force…?" I mumbled.

"Duel Academy's most elite group of Duel Soldiers. That's who we fought before." Mokuba explained, sighing. "To think they'd use the name of an Egyptian God in such a blasphemous way…" Mokuba shook his head. "Anyway, we're almost there." He said, moving ahead just a little before he and his Monster came to a stop, staring up at the confines of the passageway as a red light came down, scanning across Mokuba's face before the top of the passageway opened up and Mokuba pushed himself up through the opening, Goddess of Sweet Revenge unable to fit through due to her unwieldy staff. "Thanks for that, My Lady. Your assistance was much appreciated. You deserve a rest." Mokuba's voice called down to her as she disappeared in a burst of golden light.

Apple Magician Girl moved us closer to the opening before she helped me up through it, unable to get through herself due to her wings. Mokuba grabbed one of my arms and helped me to my feet before I turned back to her. "Fizdis, thank you…" I smiled, removing her card from my Duel Disk as her physical form disappeared in a shower of gold, her spirit form remaining. "Y-you're…" I had no idea what to say to her. I wanted to thank her so much for her support, but I just couldn't figure out what more to say other than "thank you…"

"You're welcome…" she whispered back, smiling at me, Tim coming up through the passage and moving through her transparent form.

"That was fun." Tim grunted, pulling himself up. "Anyone else smell apples?"

I turned away with a smile. "We'll… talk later…" I told Apple Magician Girl, and she nodded, her form fading away. Mokuba deactivated his Duel Disk before sealing the passageway.

"Okay, now we'll just…" Mokuba suddenly stopped.

"Mokubro, what is it?" Tim asked.

"We're alone."

"What do you mean?"

"We're _alone_." He repeated. I looked around and there wasn't a single KC Guard in sight. Mokuba suddenly took off down the hall, and Tim and I followed after him.

It was true. We were alone.

There was no one else around aside from the three of us. Reception was empty and the only sound I could hear was the sound of our own footsteps as we made our way through the same set of rooms we'd gone through when we'd first arrived at the Kaiba Corporation. Eventually, we came upon the doors to the High Council's room, open and inviting unlike last time.

Unfortunately, the sight of what was actually _in_ the room was not at all inviting, the three of us standing outside it, looking in in horror.

"Oh my _God_ …" Mokuba muttered.

The four members of the High Council were seated in their chairs, bodies limp and eyes vacantly staring at nothing. There were hand marks around Taki's neck, indicating he'd been strangled, Gurei's throat looked like it had been slit, Azul's legs were missing, a puddle of blood underneath her seat and running down the walls, and Bordeaux had an Axe of Despair lodged deep in his chest.

"What kinda floppy-wanded Dementor-buggerer could've done this…?" Tim muttered. "Cool axe though."

Mokuba inhaled sharply, slipping on a headset and attaching it to his Duel Disk before activating it once again. "This is Mokuba Kaiba, can _anybody_ read me? Come in. Over."

"Look at the axe." Tim motioned to me.

"I-I'd rather not…" I whimpered.

"The angle." He continued. "The way it's pointing into his chest like that. It was thrown, probably by someone with really good upper body strength."

"Damn it…!" Mokuba hissed, discarding his headset to the ground. "Where the _Hell_ has everyone gone?!"

"Wh-who could have done this?" I asked.

"It couldn't have been the Fusion Dimension. They would have carded them. Someone _else_ must have gotten to them." Mokuba scratched his head, throwing his hands down. "They could still be here. We have to move." He said suddenly. "I'll take you to the boat right away."

"Are you sure? I mean, if there's a murderer here-" Tim began to speak but Mokuba cut him off.

"If there's a murderer here, _I_ will deal with them. It's nothing either of you have to concern yourselves with."

"Well, I mean, there are Fusion-"

"Mr. Ihansha, I will take care of it. Now, please, follow me."

"What about Declan? I'm supposed to help his lot-"

"They were supposed to be _here_ , Mr. Ihansha, and they're not, and I can't get hold of them. For all we know, Mr. Akaba and the others have already been carded by soldiers from the Fusion Dimension. The two of you need to get out of here while you can. It's not safe."

Tim ticked, and I knew he could have argued with Mokuba all day, but he looked at me, and I guess I must have looked pretty shaken because Tim just sighed and nodded, Mokuba turning away from the carnage as we followed him out of the High Council's room.

Once again, we didn't know where Mokuba was taking us, I mean, we knew it was to the boat, but we didn't know where that was. We passed through several doors that were supposedly off-limits to the public, and had it been any other circumstance I would have been absolutely elated, but of course at this point I only felt consternation.

The path stretched on, and every hallway or intersection looked and felt the same to me, but as we moved to head around a corner, Mokuba suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. "Stop," Mokuba hushed to us at the sound of footsteps drawing closer. Tim pressed a hand gently against my chest as he kept me back, staring intently at the corner of the wall, probably readying himself to attack whoever or whatever it was that stepped out from the other side.

The two of them relaxed immediately at the sight of the gray-haired young man as he came around the corner. Mokuba sighed with relief. "Mr. Akaba…!"

"Mr. Kaiba…!" even Declan sounded surprised to see us. But it wasn't just him. No, behind him stood Yuya, Zuzu, Gong, Riley, Sylvio, and that blue ninja guy whose name I didn't know.

"It's great to see you guys. When I couldn't get hold of you, I thought you might have been carded. What took you so long getting here?"

"We were trying to track Rogét." Declan explained. "We broke into The Facility to rescue Celina and the others, but he made off with her and we saw him head here."

"You saw him come _here_? But what could…" Mokuba trailed off before his eyes widened, turning to Tim. "The boat!" Once again, Mokuba took off. "Follow me, _quickly_!" he urged, and we _all_ ended up following him. To be honest, it was sort of reassuring to be in a group. There were at least ten of us, so if there _was_ a murderer lurking in the Kaiba Corporation, on top of the Duel Soldiers and Sector Security fighting throughout the City, we at least had the advantage in terms of closely-knit numbers, and I doubt we could have been taken by surprise.

Tim, Mokuba, Yuya and Declan were talking about how we'd found the High Council murdered in their chambers, and how the person who killed them could still be lurking somewhere within KaibaCorp, along with the threat of the Fusion Dimension, and what Rogét could have been planning, but I wasn't really focusing on any of it. I just wanted to get to the boat.

We passed through several more doors until we came upon the entrance to another room, a locked steel door blocking the way. It stood out to me because it seemed to use a different security system than the rest of the doors from what I'd seen in KaibaCorp.

"It's locked. Okay." Mokuba said aloud, reaching in underneath his suit and pulling out a card which he scanned into a card reader sticking out beside the door. A clicking noise sounded and the door unlocked, opening by itself as light spilled into the room, drawing itself over the floor and stopping at the feet of Rogét, and the hands and knees of Celina, the termagant looking weak and defeated, her eyes glazed over and a gag forced down her throat.

"Celina!" Yuya and Zuzu shouted.

"Rogét?!" Mokuba's eyes were wide. "How the Hell did you _get_ in here?!" he snapped as he quickly threw the lights on, the whole room becoming illuminated in an orange glow, and while everyone else was probably blinded by the sudden change in light, my eyes were caught on the central fixture of the room.

A pillar.

It reminded me so much of the Original Momentum Reactor, and, of course, Infinity. Not in its size, it was obviously much smaller, but in shape and design it was almost identical to what I'd seen. I could make out indents and 'lanes' in the pillar that Momentum, or whatever the Dimensional equivalent to it was here, would have probably ran through when or if it was or had ever been active.

Off to the side of that was our boat, the crystal ball resting in its holder, capturing some of the room's artificial light. Rogét stood between the both of them, Celina's hands and feet bound together by hard light.

"Damn it!" Rogét snapped. "I was hoping to leave before you all got here." Rogét suddenly turned to us, his tone softening. "But I guess, in a way, it's good you're all together… now I can get rid of all of you at the same time…" Rogét smirked.

"I've had enough of this. Prepare to die, you Goddamn _wadjela_ -ass crackerjack motherfucker!" Tim shouted, raising his hand to Rogét, who simply continued to smirk in response.

" _Oh_? Raising your hand to me? I wouldn't do that if I were you, Ihansha…" Rogét spoke softly. "I know of your power, how you killed Banzu, but if you were to try to do the same to _me_ , well, dear Belfri here wouldn't escape unscathed now, would she? No, you'd kill _her_ too…"

"You think I care about some kid?" Tim asked with a smile.

"Tim, no, you can't!" Zuzu pleaded with the redhead who seemed to pay her no mind.

Rogét took a step toward the boat, his controlling smile not leaving his face. "What about the boat?" he snickered, Tim uncharacteristically hesitating. Rogét's smile widened. "From where I'm standing, the boat might just get caught in the blast…! And you need the boat to get home, don't you?" he asked.

"Tim…" I breathed. I'd never seen Tim so hesitant and conflicted about anything. There was a moment where I thought he'd do it, kill Rogét and Celina the same way he'd killed Joel, possibly destroying or damaging the boat in the process, which meant I'd probably never get home, but he didn't. Tim moved his hand back down to his side, hand clenched into a fist.

"Thought so… Too strong for your own good…!" Rogét continued to smile. Celina groaned through her gag, eyes heavy and glazed. "Shut up!" Rogét snapped, slapping his captor across the face, Zuzu immediately activating her Duel Disk. "Uh-uh- _u~uh_ …" Rogét taunted. "I wouldn't do _that_ either if I were you. If _any_ of you take another step, Summon any Monsters or play any cards, I'll activate the Dimensional Domain Emulator and plunge this City into the afterlife!"

"Dimensional Domain Emulator?" Yuya asked.

Mokuba gasped. "Y-you wouldn't!"

Rogét's eyes narrowed. "I _would_. Do you really think I'd allow myself to be taken so easily?"

"So _that's_ what you were going to do…" Declan muttered, adjusting his glasses. "You were going to use the Dimensional Domain Emulator to transport this City to the afterlife, and then use the boat to escape." Declan shook his head. "Declaring Martial Law, throwing Neo Domino City into a panic just as the Fusion Dimension attacks while you try to slip off undetected… It's what you wanted from the very beginning, wasn't it? Why you arrested Yuya and the others, took them to The Facility, so that you could use them to bargain if you ever had to return… to Duel Academy…!"

Mokuba, Yuya and the other Lancers (apart from Declan) gasped, Tim doing a mock gasp as I'm sure he, like me, either didn't really know, care, or understand the significance of what was going on. "Y-you mean all this time…? You were from another Dimension?!"

"The fact that we had to drive you to this means you've already lost, Rogét. Step away from the boat-" Declan stopped as Rogét chuckled, before his chuckles turned to full-blown menacing laughter.

"You think I've lost?! No, no, no, no, _no_! My dear Akaba, it's _you_ who has lost! You came here, completely ignorant of the world you were stepping into, thinking that this world would bend to your whims, and that you could use this world's inhabitants to fight the Fusion Dimension, but this world has secrets. Oh yes, secrets that I am well aware of! And you never know when those secrets may or may not come in handy…"

Mokuba's eyes widened. "Yliaster…!"

"That's right, Kaiba. I'm well aware of the legends of the Inti-bearers, Quilla-bearers, the Chavín, and Yliaster, but I don't care about any of that anymore! Would you really expect me to?! This world went to Hell the moment you all interfered in it, so I'll bury you here, and leave this world in the dust!"

"You can't take down all of us!" Sylvio shouted.

" _I_ won't be doing anything… _Sergey_!" Rogét called, head facing the ceiling with a smile. Tim jumped back as a large piece of the ceiling came down, a large man standing atop it as he landed with a thud, his feet sinking into the ground.

"N-no way! That's…" Mokuba trailed. He was about as tall as Tim, and built quite similarly too. He'd a vacant yet steely-eyed expression on his tattoo-covered face, Criminal Marks over every part of his body I could see. He wore a tri-colored riding suit, but I couldn't even really describe it. He just looked really weird. Of course, it didn't at all take away from his imposing physical presence.

"Who's _that_?" Zuzu asked.

"This is Sergey Volkov, a former criminal who also goes by the name 'Duelist Crusher', and the last person you'll ever see!" Rogét announced.

"Dumb name…" Tim said bluntly, unimpressed, Sergey standing as still as a statue, having not moved from where he'd landed. "But I can see it…" he muttered, sizing Sergey up before turning to Mokuba. "He was the one that killed the High Council…"

Mokuba's eyes widened while Rogét's piqued. "Y-you're _kidding_!"

"Well, well, well… I wasn't sure if you'd even _seen_ what I'd done." Rogét kept his eyes on Mokuba. "Yes, I ordered for Sergey to have the High Council killed. I'd been waiting for the right opportunity for some time, but with everything else going on I'd decided now was as good a time as any."

Mokuba stood with his mouth agape, shaking his head in shock and disgust. " _What_ the _Hell_ is _wrong_ with you?!" he yelled at the top of his lungs.

Rogét's eyes narrowed, not at all taken aback by Mokuba's outburst. "You can't be serious… is my hatred of you and them really _that_ much of a surprise to you? After all the times you've tried to undermine me, usurp my power-"

"We _gave_ you that power-"

"You treated me like a fool! Like I knew _nothing_ , but all this time, it was _you_ who didn't know anything. You had _no idea_ I was from Dimension F-610!" Rogét brought his hands out to his sides, almost beckoning us. "Why do you think I let you take the boat back? Drawing your Guard away, lulling you into a false sense of security. I knew the Obelisk Force was coming, it was only a matter of time, so I had Sector Security lure out your Guard while I sent Sergey in to take care of the Council."

Mokuba clenched his hands into fists, pushing out breath after breath of air. "So what happened to the rest of them?" Mokuba asked softly.

Rogét shrugged. "I don't know, and I don't _care_. Carded by Obelisk Force I'd assume."

Mokuba exhaled slowly. "How could you…? All of this… you were working with them all this time…"

"You really think _I_ would work with Obelisk Force? Work with Duel Academy?" Rogét shook his head. "No, I had plans, Mr. Kaiba. Plans for this City and plans to defeat Duel Academy _and_ The Chancellor myself." Rogét continued to smile, turning to Yuya. "Unfortunately, thanks to _you_ , my plans came somewhat awry. I'd hoped you and Jack would face each other in the tournament finals, and that way I would get a proper introduction with the Crimson Dragon. After all, legend stated that the Crimson Dragon would appear when those who've either Marks of Light or Marks of Shadow do battle." Rogét sighed. "Unfortunately, you lost, but thankfully Jack still Summoned his dragon in his Duel against _you_ , and I was at least able to confirm its existence with my own eyes." Rogét had been facing Tim and I as he'd finished speaking.

"What does _that_ have to do with anything?" Yuya asked.

"Well in the overall scheme of _this_ world, quite a lot, but none of you gave any thought to _that_ before coming here, did you? Still…" Rogét's eyes moved from Yuya to me. "I'd wager that Mark-bearers exist in _your_ Dimension too, do they not?"

"W-w-we call them Signers…" I whispered.

"Simply _fascinating_. The information I have accrued here will prove particularly useful when I return to Dimension F-610 and persuade The Chancellor to invade Dimension D-521."

I flinched, recalling having heard Slade refer to my Dimension by that name. "So what?" Declan asked. "You're going to destroy this Dimension and flee?"

"No, I'm going to survive, _unlike_ all of you!" Rogét smirked. "There is a force that exists here, more powerful than The Chancellor could and _will_ ever know! I didn't want to do this, but God does not favor losers!" Rogét looked away only for a moment, before his eyes returned to focus on Yuya. "And to think, all I needed was one Inti-bearer or one Quilla-bearer, enough to tip the scales."

"What are you talking about?" Yuya asked, Rogét's smile widening.

"You mean you don't know? One of the souls you now possess inside you belonged to a boy from this Dimension who wielded a Mark of the Crimson Dragon, the soul of Quetzalcoatl. Every five thousand years, a battle between the Inti-bearers, led by Quetzalcoatl – the Crimson Dragon, and the Quilla-bearers, led by Xolotl – the King of the Underworld, takes place. The bearers of these Marks possess incredible abilities and can only be slain by another Mark-bearer, and those that the _Quilla_ -bearers defeat, those with darkness in their hearts, would too become Quilla-bearers." Rogét seemed particularly focused on Yuya as he spoke. "But you didn't _defeat_ young Furei, did you? No… you absorbed him…" Rogét said softly.

Yuya took a step back and I turned to him, noticing that everyone, except for Tim and Sergey, seemed to be looking at the young boy. "I-I-I…" Yuya stammered.

"Don't deny it, Sakaki. I saw it all with my own eyes. The search for Mr. Furei's body was simply a formality that needed to be carried out. Every single human possesses bestial instincts. Yours just happen to be especially powerful. You can _try_ to deny it all you want, but the entirety of Neo Domino City saw the darkness in your heart, and who you really are!"

"Yuya…" Zuzu muttered.

"So," Rogét continued, "as you can imagine, having one of either on side would have been incredibly beneficial to me, but-"

"But you could get neither." Declan cut him off. "So, you decided to cut your losses, take Celina, and run back to Duel Academy with your tail between your legs!"

"I might not have any Mark-bearers, but I have the next best thing! Sergey, kill them all, starting with _those two_!" Rogét motioned to Tim and I. "As much as I'd like to _leave_ you to perish along with the City, I need to see you die with my own eyes!"

"You've prattled on long enough; I'm done listenin' to this crap!" Tim snapped, charging forward and planting his right foot in Sergey's chest, throwing the man back against the wall, before Sergey dropped to the ground, motionless, the redhead turning back to Rogét.

"S-Sergey…!" Rogét gasped, eyes fixed on his lackey's body, which suddenly sprang back to life as he grabbed Tim by the shoulder and threw him into the wall.

"Tim!" I shouted.

Sergey planted his foot on Tim's arm, breaking his Duel Disk and pushing him through the wall before Tim used his free hand to bat him away, Sergey staggering back as Tim got to his feet.

"What the Hell are you?!" Tim breathed heavily.

Rogét laughed. "That's right, Sergey! Get up and destroy them all!" Rogét then turned to Tim. "Sergey's no mere mortal, Ihansha. He was a former criminal, beaten and tortured in The Facility. At the eve of his death, I saved him, fitted him with cybernetic equipment and hard light support."

"Yeah?" Tim asked, "Well… that's stupid! You're stupid!" he retorted.

" _No_! _You're_ stupid! _All of you_ are stupid! You should never have come here! You ruined your own customs, your own legacy by allowing these wretched outlanders to come, and I've had it! _Sergey_! Kill them right now!"

"Understood…" Sergey muttered, cracking his neck as he walked toward Tim with a smile.

"Alright…" Tim sighed, moving his shoulders back as he tensed his hands once more. "You're a cyborg, are ya? Let's see how you do with _this_ …!" Tim disappeared in a flash and Sergey's body convulsed several times over before the hulking giant dropped to his knees, Tim reappearing a few moments later.

"T-T-T-Tim, a-are you okay?" I asked. Tim nodded but he didn't turn to me, keeping his distance from the group and sticking close to Sergey.

"There. Enjoy bein' a paraplegic." Tim said firmly. "I just hit every single pressure point in your body. Even those new ones that only hippies know about. Now-" Tim suddenly stopped as Sergey's knees started to shake and he lifted himself back onto his feet. "You have _got_ to be kidding me!" Tim seethed. "Fine. Fine! Let's see you survive _this_!" Tim slammed his hands together, fingers splayed out as a light shot out from the palms of his hands.

" _Sergey_!" Rogét shouted, his voice drenched with concern as the man was engulfed in light, but when the light faded, Sergey was still standing, his form as prominent as it ever was, his yellow Criminal Marks glowing an eerily familiar purple, and the scleras of his eyes a heartless black.

"You cannot kill me, mortal." He spoke.

"Alright…!" Tim breathed. "This isn't workin'…! What do I gotta do…?!"

"Nothing. Just accept your fate…" Sergey said, looking down at his right arm. "Xolotl is whispering to me…" he muttered. "I can hear him through my Mark. He wants me to claim you…"

"Your _Mark_?" Declan asked, Sergey's arm starting to glow purple.

"No…! N-n-n-n-no _way_!" I stammered, purple light radiating from Sergey's form, the towering man's clothing changing, almost burning away to reveal an outfit of black, his shirt and pants clinging tightly to his body, and a hooded robe which covered his eyes only for a moment became draped over him. But what really got me was the Mark on his arm. It was purple, like the other Dark Signer Marks I'd seen, but the image was of none of the seven geoglyphs I could recall.

"S-Sergey, you're…" Rogét shivered, Sergey's eyes widening, the tall man's face contorting, the Criminal Marks on his face and body having turned a deep purple.

I swallowed audibly. "Tim, get out of here." I told him.

Tim finally looked back at me. "What? But things are just startin' to get interestin'…" Tim's eyes widened and he turned back to Sergey, the man in black charging toward us and punching Tim square in his chin. Tim took a step back before getting kicked in the chest, skidding across the floor. Tim grunted, getting to his feet. "Cheap shot, punk."

"He…" Sergey heaved, his head suddenly jerking to me. "He wants me to take _you_ into the shadows first!" Sergey shouted, purple fire appearing behind him, cutting through the wall as it quickly spread around and trailed out behind me. I turned behind me to find that Sergey and I were surrounded by the fire, just as Luna and I had been in our Duel against Devack. Sergey and I were cut off from everyone else, Tim and the others standing on one side of the flames, Rogét and Celina on the other.

"What is this?" Declan asked.

Mokuba swallowed. "A Shadow Duel."

"You think a little purple fire'll scare _me_? Purple's the _least_ threatenin' color for fire!" Tim started to walk toward us.

"T-Tim, no! Stop!" I warned him. "This isn't ordinary fire! If y-y-you try to walk through it, y-your soul'll be ripped from your body."

"My soul…?" Tim stopped, placing a hand atop the scar on his chest. "What about you?" He asked.

"I'll be fine~!" I told him, my voice wavering. "But you all need to get out of here! Find some place safe!"

"No way! I ain't leavin' you!" Tim protested.

"There's nothing you can do! There's nothing _any_ of you can do! Once he's finished with me, he'll come for you guys. Y-you don't even need the boat to get back, it was for me~! It was all just for me! You can go with them! They've got cards they can use to travel between Dimensions! The only reason we needed the boat was because I didn't know where I was from, but that doesn't matter anymore…!" I sighed. "I've dealt with guys like this before. I'll… I'll be okay…!"

"Tyler…" Tim refused to move, and it was the same with Yuya, Zuzu and the others, though I assumed their reason for staying was to ensure Celina's safety. Rogét wasn't moving either, after all, and he could. He had the boat on his side of the flames. He could run off with Celina at any moment, I thought.

"W-w-w-well if you're going to stay… I can't stop you~" my voice cracked once more and I turned back to Tim and the others, themselves barely visible through the flames. "But stick close to Yuya. If he _does_ have Yugo's soul inside him, then he might now carry his Mark. Which means if anything happens during this Duel, you'll be protected…" I sighed heavily, turning back to Sergey. "So, you're a Dark Signer then? A Quilla-bearer or whatever it was Rogét said?" I asked, even though the answer was obvious.

Sergey didn't answer me, instead twisting his face into a smile as he activated his Duel Disk.

"Sergey, what are you-" Rogét was cut off as the giant man roared.

" _Duel_!"

[Tyler: 4000 LP]  
[Sergey: 4000 LP]

My heart jumped into my throat, and I drew five cards from my Deck as my starting hand, activating my Duel Disk. "From my hand, I Normal Summon Chocolate Magician Girl!" the young aqua-haired Spellcaster appeared in front of me, wand raised [ATK: 1600]. "Next, I Set two cards face-down, and activate Chocolate Magician Girl's effect: discarding Lemon Magician Girl from my hand to draw a card." Chocolate Magician Girl raised her wand into the air as I slid Lemon Magician Girl into the Graveyard, managing to draw Magicians' Defense. "Finally, I'll Set one more card face-down and end my turn." I told him, Setting my new Trap alongside my previously Set Dimension Guardian and Dimension Reflector.

Sergey drew, his movements rigid and robotic. "I activate Pot of Desires. By Banishing ten cards from my Deck, I can draw two cards." Sergey removed the top ten cards from his Duel Disk before drawing two more. "I now Set a Monster, along with two other cards in my backrow, and end my turn."

I drew. "I Set o-o-o-o-o-one card face-down and Set a Monster in Defense Position." I said shakily, Setting Magician's Robe and Mirror Force face-down before entering my Battle Phase. "Now, I attack your Set Monster with Chocolate Magician Girl!" I shouted. My Monster raised its wand, aqua light zapping at Sergey's Monster, revealing itself to be Spirit Reaper [DEF: 200].

"Spirit Reaper can't be destroyed by battle." Sergey snickered.

"I know that." I told him. "I end my turn." I said, Sergey drawing.

"I'll Set one more Monster in Defense Position and end my turn."

Celina groaned and Rogét shushed her, keeping his eyes on the Duel.

I drew, opting to keep the Spellbinding Circle that I'd drawn in my hand, as I didn't want to overextend too much. Sergey was playing defensively and having cards like Spirit Reaper in his Deck meant that he was obviously stalling, waiting for something else to come along. An Earthbound Immortal, more than likely, which meant I had to make sure he couldn't get enough Tributes or activate a Field Spell. He already had one Monster, but if I could just keep it at one, I'd have a chance.

"I enter my Battle Phase and attack the Monster you just Set with Chocolate Magician Girl!" once again, my Chocolate Magician Girl poised her wand toward Sergey's Set Monster, and just like last time, my Chocolate Magician Girl's attack had no effect. Sergey's Set Monster was revealed, one that caused my heart to skip a beat [Earthbound Prisoner Ground Keeper: DEF: 300]. "N-no way…"

"Once per turn, my Earthbound Prisoner Ground Keeper can't be destroyed either."

"I… I…"

"My turn!" Sergey shouted, drawing. "I activate the Spell Card Twin Twisters, discarding Earthbound Prisoner Stone Sweeper to destroy two of your face-downs!" two tornadoes came forth, sweeping my Mirror Force and Dimension Reflector into the Graveyard. "Next, I activate the Field Spell known as Mausoleum of the Emperor!" My eyes widened as the purple flames intensified, two stone pillars coming up from the ground surrounding the metal one. Sergey clenched his hand into a fist. "Now… all the pieces are in place… I Tribute my Spirit Reaper and Earthbound Prisoner Ground Keeper!"

"What?!" I shouted. I assumed he was going to use his Life Points as Tributes instead, but evidently that wasn't the case. The flames grew even more fierce, and the sides of the building began to crumble, opening up to the murky sky where a disembodied heart hovered in the air, leaking black sludge as purple lights trickled up from all over the City, flowing into it.

Above that, blue flames made themselves known in the sky, lines and patches running along and forming into the shape of an animal. It looked like a dog with two tails.

"What's happening?" Zuzu asked.

"He's absorbing the souls of everyone in Neo Domino City." I told her, turning back to see Yuya's arm glowing, a transparent red sphere appearing around himself and the group.

"Well, on the bright side, that probably gets rid o' most of the Fusion Dimension's forces, right?" Tim shrugged.

" _Xolotl_!" Sergey yelled. "I call forth your servant from the Underworld and allow him to feast on the souls of the living! Break free from your seal and rise, _Earthbound Immortal Allqu_!"

The disembodied heart in the sky began to beat, slowly at first, but much more rapid as time went on, until purple light erupted from the heart, getting blasted down onto the Earth, the ground giving way to a titanic black dog with white lines running all over its body. An Earthbound Immortal I'd never seen before [ATK: 3000].

" _That's_ an Earthbound Immortal…?" Rogét asked breathlessly. "It's magnificent…"

"My Earthbound Immortal Allqu possesses the ability to attack your Life Points directly. Go, Allqu!" Sergey shouted, the dog's white eyes staring down into my soul as its head reared closer. I stepped back as far as I could, but I was pinned by the fire.

"I play my Trap Card, Magicians' Defense!" I shouted, revealing my Trap as Chocolate Magician Girl came to my aid. "As long as I control a Spellcaster, any damage I take is halved…!" I explained, the jaws of the dog appearing overhead, biting down into me.

[Tyler: 2500 LP]

I could feel it. I could feel its teeth digging into my skin, piercing my body, grinding my bones. I screamed. I must have. It hurt too much to not do anything. After what felt like an eternity of agony, Sergey's Monster let me go, removing its teeth from my now sore-infested, scabby body, my warm blood running onto the cold ground as I collapsed.

"Tyler, holy shit! Are you alright?!" I heard Tim call out to me, but I couldn't respond.

"I'll Set one card and end my turn."

I continued to lie there on the ground, afraid and yet unable to draw my eyes away from the terrifying dog. I could feel blood running down my head. Chocolate Magician Girl turned to me and took one of my hands in hers. My eyes focused on her, but she seemed so far away from me. I could see her lips move. She was speaking to me, but I couldn't hear anything. She pulled me into a seated position, kneeling down to meet me at eye level.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice finally registering.

I nodded, even though I didn't feel okay, and Chocolate Magician Girl helped me to my feet. "Can I use you… to help me stand…?" I asked weakly and Chocolate Magician Girl nodded quickly.

"Of course."

"Th-th-thank you~" I groaned. "My… my turn to draw…" I panted, drawing, barely even able to keep a grip on the card I drew. "I activate… Chocolate Magician Girl's effect, discarding Dark Magician from my hand to draw a card-"

"I don't think so! I reveal my Trap Card: Solemn Strike! By paying fifteen-hundred Life Points, I can negate the effect of your Magician Girl and destroy her!"

[Sergey: 2500 LP]

My eyes widened as a bolt of lightning came down from the sky and struck Chocolate Magician Girl, destroying her and knocking me back to the ground, my cards flying from my hand.

"This is bad…" Mokuba muttered.

"No~!" I grunted and groaned, crawling over to retrieve my cards. I had no idea what to do. The only other Monster I had out was Magician's Robe, which was face-down, which meant that the effect of Magicians' Defense wouldn't apply, so if I was attacked directly by Allqu again, that would be it for me. I assumed that like the other Earthbound Immortals, Allqu was unaffected by Spell and Trap Cards, so my Spellbinding Circle wouldn't work anyway. Nevertheless, it was all I _could_ do. "I Set one card face-down… and end my turn…" I said shakily.

"I don't think so! I activate the Quick-Play Spell Cosmic Cyclone! By paying one thousand Life Points, I'll Banish the card you just Set!"

[Sergey: 1500 LP]

My Spellbinding Circle rose up before it got sucked into a vortex. Sergey licked his lips before smirking, his fang-filled smile matching that of his dog's as he drew. "Rogét told me about the hatred you have in your heart for your brother."

I gasped, using my vest to wipe away some of the blood on my forehead. "Wh-what…?" I whispered.

"How you want nothing more than to see him dead." Sergey licked his lips. "I can help you with that. Once I've killed you, you'll become a Quilla-bearer like me."

I edged back. I'd remembered Devack saying the same thing, that if he'd defeated Luna and me in our Duel against him, we would have become Dark Signers. I wondered what that would have meant for us. Would we have been forced to fight against, say, Yusei and Leo just as that Greiger guy had been made to fight Crow?

"Yes, _yes_! You're _magnificent_ , Sergey!" Rogét praised. "Y-you can build my army of Quilla-bearers for me, and then no one will be able to stop me! Not Yliaster, not The Chancellor! No one! Do it, Sergey! Finish him!" I heard Rogét shout.

Sergey shook his head. "Not yet."

"What?!" Rogét snapped. "I order you to-"

" _Shut up_!" Sergey roared, the markings on his face glowing purple. "You have no idea the power I possess, mortal! Did you really think it was _you_ who saved me from death? I was already saved… by the Earthbound Immortals!" Sergey set his cards down onto the ground and reached up to the left side of his face where his glowing red eye was, clutching at the skin around it. "This body… is not _yours_!" Sergey tore at his face, ripping the red eye from its socket, along with a mess of wires, blood, and skin.

"I've lost control…" Rogét muttered.

Sergey panted like a dog in heat, discarding the blood-drenched cybernetics to the floor, turning back to the long-nosed man. "You never had it to begin with… honestly, did you _really_ think you'd be able to gather an army of Mark-bearers, and _control_ them?! You're nothing…" Sergey looked back at me, his empty eye socket making my blood run cold. "Boy… I'm not going to kill you yet. After all, I can kill you at any moment with Allqu, and when I do, I want to see the light leave your eyes and for darkness to take its place there! Allqu, attack his Defense Position Monster!"

My Magician's Robe was revealed [DEF: 2000] and Sergey snickered as Magician's Robe was destroyed, Earthbound Immortal Allqu biting down and eviscerating my Monster. I was thrown back from the attack, my eyes widening as I saw my Life Points drop.

[Tyler: 1500 LP]

"What the Hell…?"

Sergey smirked. "My Earthbound Immortal Allqu has an effect, where if he attacks a Monster in Defense Position, you take double piercing damage. But I knew from watching your Duels that you run a Spellcaster Deck, and that Magicians' Defense would kick in and save you."

"W-what do you mean… watching m-m-m-my Duels…?"

"Sergey, enough!" Rogét snapped.

"All I need to do is ask Allqu to devour your soul, and you will _disappear_ from this world, Rogét!" Sergey said simply, Rogét becoming pale as Sergey turned back to me. "Yes… I was made to watch your Duels, both those in the tournament, and others that you played in during your time here. Your Duel against Sector Security, your brother, I'm well aware of the hatred in your heart. Rogét wanted to use you and your friend as tools to further his own desires, just as he thought he could use me, but you have your own. You want nothing more than to make your brother pay."

I started to shake, and I wasn't sure if it was from fear or anger. "I _want_ to go home."

"So you can kill your brother. You don't have to hide your darkness from me, or try and push the anger away. Use it. Let it fuel you, consume you, and when you die, let Xolotl into your heart. Then you can become a Quilla-bearer, and this world, no, the _multiverse_ will be at our feet!"

"Go to Hell!" I barked. "I might hate Joel. I might hate a lot of people. But there's more to life than hate. I have someone I love, and I won't, I _won't_ , be turning my back on her again!"

"That's right!" Tim agreed. "An old friend once told me that love is the most powerful magic that exists!"

"Then I'll show you the power of the shadows and drag you to Hell. I activate the Continuous Spell Card – Field Barrier!" Sergey laughed as a translucent green bubble appeared around the two of us, further cutting me off from Tim and the others. "With this, my Mausoleum of the Emperor can't be destroyed, which means there's no way for you to defeat my Earthbound Immortal!"

I stopped breathing for half a second, my eyes shifting to Sergey's Earthbound Immortal Allqu, whose form existed outside the confines of Field Barrier.

He was right.

The cards I had in this Deck, I had no out, no way to get that Field Spell off the field. I only had one Mystical Space Typhoon, and no other Spell or Trap removal.

There was almost no point in fighting, but I knew I had to do something. I drew my card, knowing it would be my last as Apple Magician Girl's form appeared beside me, her card in my hand. "Tyler, Summon me." She said quickly.

I turned to her quickly and shook my head. "N-no, I can't… not _you_ … I'll just cause you pain… all I ever do is cause pain… I want it to stop…"

"No, Tyler, don't," she said breathily, "look at me." Apple Magician Girl moved so that we were facing each other. "Don't think like that…" she whispered, "please… you're stronger than this, I know it… you can't give in…!" Apple Magician Girl moved away from me slightly, breathing heavily as she turned to face Earthbound Immortal Allqu. "Trust me… I have a plan… Normal Summon me… and then activate Dimension Guardian… if you let me protect you, I promise, you'll be alright…"

"Alright… I trust you~" I breathed, my voice breaking, facing Sergey. "I Summon Apple Magician Girl…!" I shakily placed her card on my Duel Disk as her form became real, gliding out in front of me to protect me from Allqu [ATK: 1200]. "And next… I-I reveal my face-down card, Dimension Guardian…" a large stone sculpture appeared in front of Apple Magician Girl, the sculpture's feminine form holding the top of a sa in her hands. "W-w-w-w-with this, Apple Magician Girl can't be destroyed by battle or by card effects."

My body was jerking with every frantic breath I took, sucking in air and pushing it out as I had to face the fact that I was out of options. I needed a Monster to defend my Life Points, but having Apple Magician Girl out on the field would just cause her pain too. And it didn't matter what battle position I put her in, as Sergey's Earthbound Immortal could just circumvent her and attack me directly anyway.

It didn't matter what I did.

I'd lost.

I was going to die.

It was a wonder I was able to stand with my body shaking as violently as it was. All I wanted was to see Luna and the others again. To apologize for what I'd done, what I'd put them through, and to try… just to _try_ and make it up to them. And now… now I'd never get that chance.

I started to cry, and I hated myself. A grown fucking man crying as he was about to die.

"There it is…" Sergey licked his lips, his singular eye staring into my soul. "The fear… the beautiful fear…"

I continued to shiver, Apple Magician Girl's voice barely able to cut through the dread. "You'll be alright… Just trust me…" My Spirit friend continued to smile, but her voice was shaky.

Eventually, I had nothing left to do, except say "I end my turn…"

"And as my turn begins, so does your new life as a Quilla-bearer!" Sergey shouted, drawing. "Earthbound Immortal Allqu! _Kill them_!"

I didn't run. I didn't try to escape. Aside from tensing my body and preparing for the worst, I didn't even fight it. Apple Magician Girl put up a protective bubble around her and me as Earthbound Immortal Allqu bared its teeth at us, snarling before its head darted toward us, twisting and contorting as it opened its maw, biting down on the two of us.

Despite Apple Magician Girl's best efforts, her protection was immediately pierced as I felt the dog's fangs stabbing into my body once again, this time losing sound, sight and touch as I was surrounded by darkness, feeling warm blood turn cold as my entire body ached.

[Tyler: 0 LP]

It was like someone's hands were clamped over my ears, muddled sound just barely reaching me. I moaned involuntarily as I felt the fangs of Sergey's beast suddenly remove themselves from my body, Allqu's rancid breath seeping into the sores as I was released. I felt my legs start to give and I dropped to my knees, Sergey laughing maniacally. " _Beautiful_! Your death is _beautiful_!" I heard him cry.

I could feel my heart withering, poison coursing through my body as I started to lose feeling in the tips of my fingers and toes. I was powerless, unable to do anything but submit myself to my fate, purple fire rushing towards me.

I wanted to believe that I had changed, that I'd become a better person. Maybe even a _good_ person. That I had the strength to overcome adversity. That I could do what Yusei and the others had done, but all I'd done was prove how weak I was.

Maybe it was meant to be. Me becoming a Dark Signer.

I closed my eyes, resigning myself to the impending pain, before I felt myself get forced aside. I grunted, opening my eyes as I gasped, Apple Magician Girl standing where I had stood, the Spellcaster having shoved me out of the way, surviving on the field through the power of my Dimension Guardian Trap Card.

And I couldn't get back to her. No, she'd used her magic to trap me in another apple-shaped bubble, leaving me unable to do anything except incessantly pound on the bubble's surface. "No! _No_!" I yelled.

Apple Magician Girl turned to me, purple flames clinging to her body. "I couldn't save the other Tyler…" she cringed, "but… I can… I can save _you_ …!"

"No, you can't!" I shouted to her, but Apple Magician Girl smiled and shook her head, tears running down her face.

"Please… don't let the darkness into your heart…" she said solemnly, her voice hollow and broken.

And with that, the fires consumed her completely; the card on my Duel Disk bursting into purple flames before dying down alongside the fire that Apple Magician Girl had pushed me out of.

I put my hand on my Duel Disk, feeling the space where I'd placed Apple Magician Girl's card.

Empty.

She was gone.

Gone forever.

Apple Magician Girl's bubble disappeared, the last remnant of her fading away as tears continued to run from my eyes. The fires had completely vanished, and Sergey stood across from me, him and his Earthbound Immortal continuing to stare me down.

"How are you still standing?!" Sergey snapped. "Like that, you should be…"

All I'd ever done was let people down. Everyone who ever put their faith in me, I ended up pushing them away, or getting them killed. Apple Magician Girl had done nothing by help and support me ever since we found each other, and she asked for nothing in return, only wanting to not see me end up like _her_ Tyler had here. And in the end, she gave her life for me. She gave me a second chance at life so I could love.

She gave me… her life…

[Tyler: 1200 LP]

I had to fight.

I _had_ to.

I put my hand to my Deck and drew, revealing the card to my opponent – Palladium Oracle Mahad – before Special Summoning him to my side of the field due to his effect [ATK: 2500].

"This cannot be…!" Sergey muttered breathlessly.

Mahad held his scepter tightly in his hands, a giant seal of yellow light appearing underneath himself and Earthbound Immortal Allqu, before leaping into the air [Palladium Oracle Mahad: ATK: 5000].

Rays of light came up from the ground and from Mahad's staff, eviscerating Sergey's Earthbound Immortal.

[Sergey: 0 LP]

Sergey screamed, and I watched him become engulfed in the purple fire that spewed from his own Earthbound Immortal, his flesh being burned from his body as he stood across from me, becoming nothing more than a skeletal black husk.

"I'll drag you to Hell with me…!" his distorted voice wailed, before he crumbled to dust right before my eyes.

I breathed heavily, turning to focus on Rogét, stumbling a little bit from the effects of the Shadow Duel.

"Sergey… no…" Rogét whimpered.

"It's over, Rogét." Declan said calmly.

"To Hell it is!" he snapped, slamming his hand down onto the control panel of the pillar as the construct started to spark with golden light.

The room started to shake, and I stumbled forward, my legs giving way as I collapsed onto the cold floor, the effects and events of the Shadow Duel having finally taken their toll on my body.

"Tyler!" Tim called out to me, before everything went dark, and silent.

* * *

I was alone in quietude, weightlessness, blankness, an otherwise complete absence of sensation. I couldn't tell if my eyes were closed, or if they were wide open and all that filtered through them was darkness.

But there was something there. I could feel something.

Someone.

Their hold, though barely reaching me through the depths of my unconsciousness, was gentle, comforting, but most of all, familiar.

It took me several more moments to affirm that my eyes were closed, and I willed myself to open them, eyelids flickering open, the light from the warm sun blocked by the shadow cast from the large blue dragon, her form lithe and slender, her beautiful amber eyes gazing down deeply into mine.

"Ancient Fairy Dragon…?" I mumbled.

She looked down at me, smiling as she held me gently in her hands. "Welcome home, Tyler."


	14. Alive

_I promise you… I will do whatever I can to make sure you get home…_

_Please… don't let the darkness into your heart…_

_You have people who love you, who care about you. I can see it in your heart. You must still feel that too…_

_Tyler, can you hear me…?_

"Tyler…" Ancient Fairy Dragon's voice cut into me. It was gentle, serene and calm, but my mind was a chaotic mess, barely able to register her voice, Apple Magician Girl's words coming to me through brief flashes of static, screams, moans, and beeping that increased in speed before eventually flatlining.

Ancient Fairy Dragon's sudden call of my name was like a knife that went right through my heart, dragging me out of that void and pulling me back into reality.

"Where am I…?" I whispered, looking up at her.

Ancient Fairy Dragon leaned down closer to me. "You're home… where you belong…" she smiled.

Brief flashes of my Duel with Sergey filled my mind, and I looked down at my body, exhaling shakily as I rested in Ancient Fairy Dragon's hands. My clothes were a little tattered, but I had no scars or cuts or anything. I should have been absolutely torn apart by Earthbound Immortal Allqu, recalling how the beast's fangs had pierced my skin. Even though I won that Duel somehow, I should have died from blood loss.

But I _wasn't_ dead.

_She_ was dead.

And it was my fault.

_Beautiful! Your death is beautiful!_

Ancient Fairy Dragon continued to look down at me, her gaze as gentle as her voice. "You've been through a lot…" she said after a long while, "but you're safe now. Try and relax."

"Is he awake?" a cool-sounding serious voice asked. Ancient Fairy Dragon's eyes moved from mine as she looked behind me and nodded. I turned my head as best I could to see Kiwi Magician Girl approach, hovering off the ground. "We thought we lost you." She said.

"Kiwi…" I mumbled. "What happened…? How did we get here…?"

Kiwi Magician Girl floated up to meet me, hovering beside Ancient Fairy Dragon. "That human, Rogét… After you defeated Sergey, he activated that machine. The room started tearing itself apart, and the next thing we knew, we were pulled along with you to another Dimension. We arrived in a City similar to Neo Domino, but you were terribly injured." she explained.

Ancient Fairy Dragon nodded slowly, her eyes once again returning to me. "I felt the presence of your soul in the City, so I brought you here, body, mind and soul, along with the other Spirits, and we tended to your injuries. They told me about everything you've been through."

I breathed slowly, softly, finding myself lost in Ancient Fairy Dragon's eyes, and I remembered not only how Regulus had first addressed me two years ago, as someone 'who has a special bond with the Ancient Fairy Dragon' but also how I first came to know the Ancient Fairy Dragon, owed to the many dreams and visions I'd started to get after Kalin had been arrested, where she'd spoken to me, and told me that I was connected to her, the Spirit World, and that I was destined to help 'a young girl' save it.

Through whatever connection, whatever bond we had, Ancient Fairy Dragon had presumably been able to transport me here in much the same way that Apple Magician Girl had done, due to me and my counterpart having supposedly similar souls.

I forced some air out, feeling my body tense and my vision start to distort. I realized I was crying, and hastily moved to wipe my tears away. "My _God_ …" I groaned, lying back in the hands of Ancient Fairy Dragon. She didn't have to sacrifice herself! She didn't deserve to perish! I never should have played her! I should have kept her in my hand and let Allqu kill me!

"Tyler…" Kiwi Magician Girl muttered, no doubt noticing the obvious pained expression on my face as she hovered closer to me.

"Don't think like that…" Ancient Fairy Dragon added softly. I gasped, readjusting myself to look at her. In this world, my mind seemed to be an open book to her, or maybe it was just _that_ obvious. "I don't know for certain how that other Spirit felt about you, but she obviously felt strongly enough that she thought laying down her life to protect you was what needed to be done. And I've seen the same side from you, Tyler. Remember how you Dueled alongside Luna against Devack? You didn't show any fear or hesitation. You put your own safety aside for the sake of Luna, myself, and the Spirit World, and for that, you have my thanks. These Spirits returned you to me, to us, and I couldn't be more grateful. I'm so glad you came back…"

"Your Majesty~" I mumbled, my voice breaking. She could have hated me. By all rights, she _should_ have hated me. I tried to destroy New Domino City, I turned against everybody, and then when I couldn't handle it, I killed myself. But in spite of all of that, Ancient Fairy Dragon, who was practically the Queen of the Spirit World, _didn't_. "I'm sorry…! I'm sorry about everything~!" I blubbered. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen~"

"All that matters," Ancient Fairy Dragon continued to smile, "is that you came home to us…" she cooed, drawing me in closer, holding me gently against her skin. I trembled, desperately trying to steady myself and get my emotions under control, but I just continued to bawl my eyes out and whine like a complete idiot. Ancient Fairy Dragon's body moved with every breath she took as she continued to look down at me, no doubt thinking I was a complete and utter failure. "I'm sorry…" she said after a while, "I should have intervened. When you disappeared from your world and ended up on the Ark Cradle, I wasn't able to reach you until it crossed over back into yours, but by then, Zone had taken hold of your mind, and even after Zone had been defeated… I couldn't do anything. Your soul strayed further and further away, until our bond was severed, and all I could do was watch you… watch you walk further down the path of self-destruction."

"It's not your fault…" I shivered. "I chose to join Zone… I chose to… to _kill_ myself!"

"But you weren't dead for very long…" she whispered. A shallow breath escaped me, and I looked up, back into the eyes of the dragon as she continued. "I knew you hadn't passed on. If you had, I would have still been able to feel the presence of your soul in the Underworld. I would have brought your spirit here and given you the opportunity to live with us if it was something that you wanted. But your soul had vanished completely; there wasn't a trace of your spirit left."

"You knew I'd disappeared…?"

Ancient Fairy Dragon nodded. "I couldn't tell Luna, because I wasn't sure if you _would_ ever return. Though I had every wish and hope that you would, it wouldn't have been right for me to give Luna any sort of hope if there was even the smallest possibility that you would never return to this world." Ancient Fairy Dragon exhaled, blowing her breath over me. "So, for the sake of Luna and everyone else, I allowed her and the rest of the Signers to believe that you had died."

I pressed my palms against my eyes and nodded, pulling the skin back as I exhaled. It sounded harsh, but if I'd been in Ancient Fairy Dragon's position, I'd have done the same thing. I had no idea whether or not I'd even be able to make it back in the end, and if there was any shred of Luna, Yusei, Akiza, Seria and the others wanting me back, I wouldn't have wanted them clinging to that. "You did the right thing, Y-Your Majesty." I sighed, closing my eyes as I rested my head in Ancient Fairy Dragon's hands. I'd worry about what I was going to say, what I was going to do eventually, but I had to take a moment, one moment, just to really drill it into myself:

I was home. After the month of mutilated babies, bizarro Dimensions, unplanned murder, warranted arrest, escaping from The Facility, getting forced into a tournament that I barely won, and fighting off a Dark Signer, I was home.

I was _finally_ home.

My eyes widened and I turned quickly to Kiwi Magician Girl. "Wh-what about everyone else? Tim? Mokuba? Yuya? What happened to Rogét?" I asked.

"We arrived here with you, but as for the humans… you seem to be the only one who ended up in this Dimension…" she muttered.

"So the boat…?"

Kiwi Magician Girl shook her head slowly. "It was just us, Tyler…"

"T-Tim…" I stammered.

_I can't fix you if I don't know why you're broken…_

_The world is made up of things that we like and don't like; you can't pick and choose what you like and just get rid of everything else…_

_We were brought together by chance, and I'm glad, 'cause now I'm able to help you…_

_As long as the two o' us stick together, there's nothin' we can't do…  
_  
He went through Hell with me to get me home, and now he was gone, just like that.

It wasn't right. I'd only known him for a short time, but in that time, though I didn't learn much about him, I ended up sharing more with him about myself than I had probably anyone else. I was an ungrateful brat, and he was a God that probably could have snapped my neck with his mind. He didn't have to help me, but he did, and I didn't deserve that.

I hoped that in the end, whatever happened, he got the boat, and was able to get back home to his Dimension. I wish I could have told him I was safe, and that he didn't need to come looking for me. I didn't know if he would or not, or where he would end up in the multiverse, but whatever he did or would do, I hoped he was safe, and that maybe, someday, I'd see him again, and be able to thank him for sticking by me.

Even if Tim was a _little_ overbearing at times.

_It's easier taking life than giving it. Have you ever tried to give birth? 'cause I have, and lemme tell ya, I was sore the next day._

Just a little.

I sighed once more. "So what now then?" I asked.

"Now," Ancient Fairy Dragon drew my attention back to her, "you rest. We were able to heal your wounds, but you should still take some time just to rest. You don't have to rush into anything. Time moves at a much slower pace here than it does in your world."

Kiwi Magician Girl nodded. "There's nothing any of us can do for Tim or the rest of the humans, even if we wanted to help them."

She was right. I had to focus on the things I could actually do something about. My friends. But even _that_ was a whole other issue in and of itself. There was no gentle, easy way to go about it. They thought I was dead, so of course doing anything, be that giving them a call, email or texting them, or just confronting them face to face, was going to be difficult. They weren't expecting me, but to be fair, neither was I, at least not like this.

They might not have wanted to see me, but I needed to see them and apologize. They didn't have to accept my apology, but they had to at least know I was sorry.

If they never wanted to see me again after that, well, that was just something I'd have to live with.

"That's right. For now, you must rest." Ancient Fairy Dragon repeated. My body started to move, the Signer Dragon slowly lowering her hands as she set me down on the ground. I found myself resting on a bank of dirt, water running downstream beside me, as just ahead from that were the gates to the entrance of the Town of Schwank. The air was warm betwixt the fingers of my right hand. I could feel the breath of life gently caressing my face, Ancient Fairy Dragon staring down at me, a maternal smile on her face. "I have other things I must attend to, but I shall return."

Ancient Fairy Dragon's wings started to glow, showers of gold secreting from her wings, carrying themselves across me as they were carried by the wind. Warmth flowed through my eyes, my body, as I felt myself start to slip away, back into the relative safety of my own mind.

* * *

I didn't know how much time had passed in the Human World in relation to the Spirit World, but when I woke up in the Spirit World again, the sun was still shining. Though truthfully, I wasn't sure how days and nights worked in the Spirit World at all. Every time I'd been, it always looked as though it was daytime.

Kiwi Magician Girl was gone, in fact I seemed to be alone, the sounds of the water easing by was the only other thing I could hear aside from my breathing.

I looked down at my Duel Disk, slipping my hand out of the gauntlet to allow my left hand to breathe. I was feeling a little better to be truthful, since I'd had my forced nap (and I honestly wouldn't have minded Ancient Fairy Dragon doing that again if I was to have any sleepless nights in the future), but I couldn't stop thinking about Fizdis and the injustice of it all: her strength, her gentleness, her kindness, her sacrifice.

I couldn't help but feel it was wasted on someone like me.

"Hiya~!" I dropped my Duel Disk in fright, shivering and turning to see Lemon Magician Girl standing beside me with a cheery smile on her face, my heart pounding in my chest.

"Jeez, you scared me…!" I breathed, hand on the left side of my chest.

"Sorry," she apologized, picking up my Duel Disk and handing it back to me.

I looked down at my Duel Disk, and there was this disdain there. If I hadn't have Dueled…

I sighed, wiping my hand on my shirt before slotting it back into my Duel Disk. "You know, you all don't have to do this."

"Do what?" Lemon Magician Girl asked innocently.

"Take turns looking after the b-b-b-basket case…" I muttered.

"Tyler, you're not a bas-"

"I was right from the beginning. I shouldn't have let you guys get involved with me."

"We chose to go with you."

I turned back to her, my expression fiercer than I'd intended. "No you didn't. I took you."

"If we didn't want to go with you, we wouldn't have let you take us. We all saw something in you, Tyler, that's why we went with you. That's why we stayed, why Apple put herself on the line for you and why any one of us would have done and would _do_ the same."

"That's stupid. Laying down your life for someone who doesn't deserve it." I said coldly. "It's not suicide speaking. I'm just saying that if one of us had to die, I'd rather it have been me than Fizdis. I mean… I dragged her, I dragged _all of you_ , into my problems. I was selfish, and I _wish_ Fizdis didn't have to die…! She didn't do anything wrong! She stood by me, through all of my bullshit, despite knowing me for only two weeks…! You all did, and I… I…" I forced my arm to my eyes and turned away. "I just can't…"

"Sometimes you have to make the hard decisions yourself, believing you know what's right." I heard Lemon Magician Girl say. "And that's what you did, isn't it? You tried ending your life here because you thought that's what you deserved and what people wanted. It's not. Us, the other Spirits, the human Tim, we all saw you struggling, and we all did what we could to help you. Not everyone gets a second chance."

"I know… I just wish Fizdis didn't have to die so I could have it…" I whispered.

"I know…" she cooed, and I heard her move closer to me. I flinched, fighting back the automatic urge to squirm as I felt her wrap her arms around my sides from behind. I told myself that she just wanted to comfort me. She wasn't trying to hurt me. She wasn't like Kobi. _No one_ _else_ was like Kobi. "She was like a sister to me. And you and… the other Tyler… were like a son to her. That's why she made the promise she did."

My body tensed as I once again recalled what Fizdis had said.

_I promise you… I will do whatever I can to make sure you get home…_

And she did.

I don't know how she was able to do it. Every promise I'd ever made, I'd broken.

_Just… promise me… don't lose another Duel. When we lived together you always used to lose against me, so now that you've finally won, I can't allow you to lose. You gotta keep on winning…_

_Sure…_

But then I lost against that Jack doppelgänger.

_I don't want to see you hurt yourself like that again. Promise me you won't do something like that again…_

_I promise…_

But then on the Ark Cradle, I did exactly that, slitting my other wrist down the middle with my Duel Disk, and if it hadn't have been for Akiza somehow healing me with her powers, both of my arms would have been permanently tarnished by those scars.

And then, probably the most important promise I'd ever broken, that night at Leo and Luna's Penthouse.

_Please, don't ever leave me… Because I need you…_

_Luna… I promise you… I won't…_

But I did. I abandoned her and everyone else because I was weak, because I was afraid and ashamed of what I'd done, because I felt like there was nothing left for me.

But I couldn't be like that anymore. I _was_ afraid, I _was_ ashamed, but I had to face up to that fear. Fizdis was fearless, facing death to protect me, giving me one last chance at the life I wanted. One last chance at the life she thought I deserved.

Tim was fearless too. He didn't care one iota about rules or how people perceived him or anything. He just did what he liked. He could afford to. He was strong. Stronger than anyone I'd ever known.

I wanted to be like that too. I wanted to be stronger, so that I could not only protect the people I cared about, but also so they wouldn't feel the need to sacrifice themselves for me. I could no longer allow someone else to die because of a mistake I might make.

"I don't know how she did it… All I've ever done is break promises…" I mumbled, turning to Lemon Magician Girl, easing up in her embrace. "The truth is… I know they won't want anything to do with me, I'm sure of it. But… I was trapped in another Dimension, unable to see them even if I wanted to. I'm here now. I can't put this off. I need to… I need to go and see them, even though I know they hate me."

"You don't know that." Lemon Magician Girl reasoned. "Ancient Fairy Dragon was nice enough to bring you here. If she had a reason to hate you, if she thought you'd done wrong by the rest of your friends, by the human you call Luna, then I don't think she would have brought you or _us_ here. There must be a part of her that believes they don't hate you. And _I_ believe that too."

"Well… I won't know for sure until I go back…" I sighed, "but, I just… I mean, I don't want to rush into things. I know what I want to say, but I need to be _sure_ I know, you know? I only have one shot, and she doesn't, they don't, deserve to be ambushed by me. They all think I'm dead, so if I just show up out of the blue, alive, then that'll throw Ancient Fairy Dragon under the bus, and she doesn't deserve that." I sighed loudly. "This has all just been one m-m-massive screw up…"

"Well I'll do whatever I can to help, just say the word!" Lemon Magician Girl smiled.

"Thank you. I-" I stopped as I felt Lemon Magician Girl release me from her hold, a shadow quickly looming over the two of us. Lemon Magician Girl looked up, before dropping to bended knee and bowing her head.

"I have returned." Ancient Fairy Dragon bellowed, her wings catching the light from the sun and distorting it beautifully like a kaleidoscope. "How are you feeling?" she asked softly.

"Much better, Your Majesty. Thank you." I said, too dropping to bended knee.

"I'm glad." She smiled. "Now, you don't have to return to the Human World right away, but I'm happy to take you back whenever you'd like."

"Honestly, I've had seven months to think about what I've wanted to say, really, so… I really should just get it over with. If I go over it in my head a thousand times, I'll probably just end up psyching myself out. The only thing is… I don't want Luna blaming you for anything. As far as I'm concerned, you made the right call, which is more than I can say for one _other_ Duel Spirit."

Ancient Fairy Dragon's smile faded, and she looked upon me with a solemn expression. "Tyler… what happened between you and Explosivo… on behalf of myself and the other Spirits, I'd like to apologize. I was not expecting him to do what he did. I simply asked him to guide you to me, as I had Regulus do with Luna. By the time I realized what he was going to do, it had already been done, and even if I had have known beforehand, I unfortunately wasn't in a state where I could have stopped him. But you must know that what he did, he truly thought was for the good of everyone. You see, Explosivo, eons ago, was not the Spirit you know today. Today, Explosivo is simply one half of what, originally, was a being of chaos, an entity of self-satisfaction and strife that possessed a soul in conflict with itself. The darkness inside him threatened to not only destroy him, but the Spirit World as well. In a brave act that almost ended his own life, he split his soul in two, into one of light, and one of darkness. The Embodiment of Light banished the Embodiment of Darkness, and he became a being concerned with good and light above all. He saw your… pain and suffering at the hands of Kobi and Sayer as a means to an end, a way to benefit the Spirit World, and a way to bring about peace for us and atone for the misdeeds of his dark half."

"He could have just _asked_ for my help. You reached out to me, and I wanted to help, but I didn't know what to make of any of what you said. If he'd just taken some time to explain to me what was going on, then I… I…" I trailed. "I'm sorry, but if you're asking me to forgive him, I can't. And I know that doesn't seem fair, since I'm asking you and Luna and everyone else to forgive me, but…"

"Please, Tyler, I'm not asking you to forgive him, I'm simply asking that you do not judge Explosivo too harshly for what transpired in the past. He, like you, and me, has made mistakes. There is light and darkness inside all of us. Every living thing. Even me."

My eyes went wide in disbelief. " _You_ , Your Majesty?"

Ancient Fairy Dragon nodded slowly. "I placed a terrible burden on Luna, when she was only three years old. I told her of the coming threat of Zeman and the Dark Signers, and her destiny as a Signer. It was tremendous pressure to put on someone so young, but her bond with this world, her bond _and_ yours, led you two to be the only ones we could rely on. Understandably, it was all a bit too much for Luna. She doubted her power, and wondered why it had to be her when her family was away and her brother, Leo, at that time, thought only of himself. But I too thought only of how she was to protect us, and didn't think of what that would do to her. What kind of pressure that would place on her. I shouldn't have been surprised when she returned to the Human World, and ended up blocking all that had happened, all that we'd spoken about from her mind, as though it had only been a dream, long since forgotten."

"Wh-wh… when Luna was three years old, I was nine, and that was the time when…" I trailed off, Ancient Fairy Dragon nodding once more, her amber eyes once again gazing deep into my soul.

"You two have been connected for far longer than either of you know." She told me. "And it's time for you to return to her."

"Yeah…" I muttered before I sighed, shaking my head. "Yes, o-of course, Your Majesty. I'll go and see her right away, if you'll allow it." I said, giving her a proper, more formal response.

"Of course." Ancient Fairy Dragon nodded before closing her eyes. A few moments later, she reopened them. "I'm sorry. It completely slipped my mind, but I'm afraid Luna would still be at school for the moment." she informed me.

"Ah, right…" I muttered. The new school year had just started, and of course I'd forgotten that, that she and Leo and everyone else had lives of their own. I couldn't blame Ancient Fairy Dragon for forgetting that. After all, she ruled over the Spirit World and had dominion over all the creatures that inhabited it. There was far more that she had to deal with than Luna's timetable. _I_ on the other hand had no excuse. I felt sick, remembering how I briefly used to take her to and pick her up from school, before my Duel Runner got destroyed. Even while she was so focused on her studies, and everything she was doing was so far above me, I really enjoyed doing that. Just being able to spend one moment with her. I swallowed. "I wouldn't want to cause a scene. Even if I waited for school to finish, I wouldn't want her having to deal with me just as her class broke out. She'd probably have homework or something, far more important than me. Maybe I should go and see Seria first, o-or Jack. They're the last people I spoke to before I… before everything…"

Ancient Fairy Dragon nodded. "Of course. I can take you to Seria. She's home at the moment for now, but as for Jack, though I can take you to him, I'm afraid that he no longer resides in New Domino City."

"J-Jack's left the City?"

"Not just Jack, I'm afraid. It's a long story, but… a funeral was held for you following your disappearance, and after that, Jack left New Domino City to become a stronger Duelist. He's currently touring with the Ride Ace Dueling League in the United States. Leo too went overseas, to go and live with his parents."

" _Leo's_ gone too?" my eyes widened.

"Yes." Ancient Fairy Dragon said, her voice a little above a whisper.

"Wh-where did he go? A-and wh-what about Luna?" I pressed, though it probably wasn't my place.

"Leo's in the United Kingdom, but Luna's still in New Domino City, still living in the penthouse in the Tops."

I shook my head in disbelief. It wasn't that I thought of Leo and Luna as a pair, as though they couldn't possibly exist or function without each other, but growing up and dealing with someone that wasn't related to me by blood made me I guess appreciate the relationship that Leo and Luna had. Part of me was kind of jealous of Leo and Luna in that regard. No matter what happened, if the chips were down, and the whole world was against them, at least they had each other.

And now they were just… apart?

"But they're… they're _family_ …! A-and they've always been super close! Why would they-"

"It's not for me to say, unfortunately. If, when you speak with Luna, she wishes to tell you, that's up to her." Ancient Fairy Dragon exhaled. "I'm sorry. I was debating on whether or not to tell you anything, but… it was your passing, forgive my phrasing, that helped the Signers decide what they wanted to do with their lives. After Zone's defeat, they were all at a crossroad of sorts. For Leo and Luna especially…" Ancient Fairy Dragon once again closed her eyes and shook her head. "My apologies, I don't wish to complicate matters. Focus on Seria for now, and worry about Luna and the others later."

I got to my feet and walked forward, placing my bare hand on a part of Ancient Fairy Dragon's body and stroking her skin in a dumb attempt to try and comfort her. "You haven't complicated anything, Your Majesty. This whole thing has been my fault, and it's time I make things right."

"We'll do it together. All of us." Lemon Magician Girl piped up.

The dragon opened her eyes and once again smiled down at me. "Good luck, Tyler. Whatever happens, if you keep your heart and your head strong, you can get through anything. And if you ever feel a moment of doubt, know that I will be here to help. I won't allow for the bond that you and I share to be severed anymore."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." I smiled, the blue dragon wrapping her hands around me as I felt all my sensations disappear, slipping into the quiet black.

* * *

A spark became a flame, and then an inferno, and bit by bit, the world around me began to take shape. I felt my feet touch the carpet of the familiar corridor, senses trickling up and down my body as sights and sounds filled my ears. I stood across from the door to Seria's apartment, the place that had been my home and refuge for six months. A place that I didn't ask for, but that she graciously offered me.

And how did I repay her? I threw it back in her face!

_Why do you care so much?! This isn't up to you, Seria! This is my life, I've had enough, and I'm ending it!_

I tensed my hands into fists and loosened my neck. If I could watch babies get branded and discarded, kill my stepdad, win a tournament and fight off a Dark Signer, I could sure as Hell do this.

I tidied myself up as best I could before I walked over to the door and knocked firmly on it with my right hand, taking a step back.

It might have been selfish, but I was relieved that Seria was still living at the same place. Hearing that both Leo and Jack had moved away, especially with their decisions having been made in part to my disappearance, it was hard not to feel responsible, especially if Leo moving away had caused Luna any hardship. The poor girl had suffered enough.

My eyes widened and I exhaled as I realized something. "I didn't get a gift… shit…" I whispered. That had been the plan originally. Tim and I were to return together and buy some gifts to help smooth things over with everybody, which would have been especially helpful when my speech inevitably failed me.

The doorknob rattled and my body froze up, my heart catching in my throat. The door to the apartment opened and Seria stepped out, looking as radiant as always. She'd grown her hair out, and I thought she looked nice with long hair. That's not to say that she didn't look nice with short hair before, but, I don't know, she looked nice and I was… glad of that.

Our eyes met, and immediately, any cohesive or cognitive thought, any big speech or apology that I might have been working on in my head just crumbled as it tried to struggle out of me, and I was reduced to tripping over my own words.

"Hi… S-Seria…"

God damn it. I could literally _feel_ the stutter, the block, right there in my chest, and I couldn't do anything except stand there like a moron.

" _Tyler_ …?" Seria asked after eleven heart-wrenching seconds. The good news was that she didn't seem angry, just surprised, and I'd have been an idiot to not expect some sort of reaction. I watched her slowly look me up and down, eyes filling with tears as she did, before she put a hand to her mouth. "Oh my gosh… it _is_ you…! How… how did…?"

In a weird way, it was sort of comforting that she was at a loss for words just as much as I was. "I-I… um… I know that… this… um…" I turned away in disgust. I _hated_ this. I knew what I wanted to say, but I was forced to hold my tongue or choke. "I'm sorry… I've got a stutter, now… brain damage… um…" I tried to explain.

"Wh-why don't you come inside?" Seria asked quickly, not really giving me a chance to say anything. She gasped, looking down at my Duel Disk. "What's that…?"

"Duel Disk." I said a little too tensely. "Long story. It's all… a long story."

"Okay… come inside, we-um…" Seria sighed. I hadn't seen or heard anyone as confused as she sounded (aside from myself), but she had every right to be confused. As far as she knew, I'd been dead for a month.

Seria took me by the hand and led me inside her apartment, closing the door behind me and refusing to let go of my hand. The apartment hadn't changed at all. Same furniture, same layout. My eyes hanged on the couch where I'd sat to write those letters one month ago.

_All I feel now is just all this fucking pent up shit and it's just in every facet, every part of my life. All I think about, all I see, all I remember is just pain and anger. And I just can't do it anymore…_

"You look different." Seria said, pulling me out of my thoughts. " _Good_ different." She added, my face heating up.

"Thanks. You're looking… nice as well…" I mumbled like a moron, Seria continuing to look into my eyes. I could tell she was holding back. She wanted to tell me something, _do_ something, _anything_ something. Her face contorted, a smile appearing on her face only for a moment, before she pulled me into a hug. " _S-Seria_ …!" my body tensed involuntarily.

"I'm sorry… I know you don't like being touched, just… let me hold you…" Seria whispered to me, her voice wet and wavering, hugging me tighter. "You're alive and you're here…" she continued, and I relaxed, allowing her to hug me. We stayed like that for a while, until Seria's voice broke through the sounds of our breathing. "Don't ever leave like that again. Promise me."

My heart skipped a beat, and I found myself wrapping my own arms around her.

"I promise…"

And for the first time in my life, it was a promise I could actually keep.


	15. Coming of Age

"Are you _sure_ you don't want anything?!" Seria called from the kitchen.

"I'm fine…!" I called back, eyes fixed on the couch as I stood in the living room.

"Are you _sure_? When was the last time you ate?!"

"I'm fine, Seria…!" I repeated.

"Alright, if you're sure…!" she said.

I sighed audibly, not at all meaning to show I was irritated or anything like that, at least with Seria. It really just only started sinking in, how much of a mess I'd made of things. I mean, I _knew_ that. Even a retard like me wasn't _that_ stupid, but… just looking at the couch, and being back… really _being_ back… it just made things so much tenser, and I knew I had a long way to go.

Seria came back into the living room, a glass of red wine in her hand. "Okay, so, um… this… I mean, this is a surprise…" she verbalized.

"I… yeah…" I shivered, eyes transfixed on the glass.

"So, I… I just…" Seria paused, taking a sip of wine. "I can't believe this…!" she breathed, "I mean, I _can_ , I just… have so many questions…" Seria's eyes widened as she caught me staring at her wine glass. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" she said quickly.

"You're allowed to d-drink, Seria…" I told her, though my eyes kept to the glass, partly because I found it easier to speak when I wasn't looking directly _at_ someone, but also because I just couldn't look away. It wasn't deliberate, I knew that. She wasn't doing it to get under my skin. She knew what Kobi was like from what I'd told her, but that wasn't anything to do with her. What happened to me was not her fault, and I wasn't going to push my own problems and issues there on her. She was perfectly allowed to have a glass of wine every now and then. There was nothing wrong with that.

Seria hesitantly took another sip. "Well… I just… I mean… _how_?" she asked me.

I had absolutely no idea how to answer her.

"A-as I said, it's… it's a long story…" I sighed.

"Well, if you don't want to talk about it-"

My eyes quickly moved to Seria's. "N-no, I _do_ , it's just… I can't…" I struggled, closing my eyes and sighing, trying to get my speech under control, while also figuring out how I could succinctly explain everything that had happened to me after I left. "Sorry, sorry. I… have changed a bit… as you can see, um… I'm back, but I've… been away, and…" I sighed once more. "I'm sorry, please let me start again." I said, keeping my eyes closed and focusing completely on the fluency of my speech. "I died and was brought back to life after being dead for a little bit, and because of that, my brain's a little bit scrambled, and that's why I can't talk normally anymore."

"You died…?" Seria asked quietly. I opened my eyes and nodded, Seria's eyes veering from mine. "The shoreline…" she mumbled.

I started to feel my heart beat a little bit faster. "Yeah…"

"We found your shoes-" Seria quickly cut herself off and shook her head. "Have you spoken to Luna?"

I sighed, closing my eyes once more. "No, I… I wanted to go and see Luna o-or call her, but… well, apart from the fact that she's still at school, I thought the best thing to do would be to come and see you first. You were the one that… gave me a home when I needed it. Even though I didn't deserve it. Nobody else knows I'm back yet, except you."

I opened my eyes to find Seria taking quite a big mouthful of her wine, downing the rest of her glass and setting it aside. "So, you _did_ go through with it then? You killed yourself?"

I nodded once more and closed my eyes. "At the shoreline, like you said. I drowned myself." I explained.

"Tyler, look at me."

I scrunched my eyes for a moment, otherwise keeping them closed. "I ca… no," I stopped. "If, if, I… if I'm going to talk, I need to be able to say what I want to say, and not be trapped by my brain."

"I don't care about your stammer, just look at me." Seria pleaded, so I opened my eyes.

"Sorry," I groaned. "I-it's just easier if I focus on… t-t-t-talking…"

"That doesn't matter to me." Seria said, coming over and taking my hands in hers. "I want to look at you, and I want you to look at me. And I don't want you apologizing for something that makes you different."

"A freak, you mean."

I'd said it so damn flippantly.

Seria rolled her eyes. "Tyler, I'm a Psychic Duelist. If anyone knows about being a 'freak' because they're different, it's me."

I sighed. "Sorry, I…" I trailed off, looking down. "I-I didn't mean it like that. I wasn't thinking…"

"No, you weren't." Seria continued. "You just went off and did something really, _really_ , stupid! And I… I thought I'd never see you again! You have no idea what we all went through! Me, Akiza, Yusei, _Luna_ … you really have no idea, do you?" Seria squeezed my hands as she rightly berated me. "Tyler, when you said all that stuff and stormed out of here a month ago, I _called_ Luna. I had to let her know what you were planning. She still cared about you."

"L-Luna…" I cringed.

"I thought she'd catch you when you went to deliver your letter to her, but I forgot that she was staying late after school that day. Eventually, she returned my calls and we organized a search for you."

"Please, can we, can we not get into that right now? I know I did wrong by Luna, but…" I trailed, Seria's words slowing me to a stop. "Wait… _what_? How… how, how would you know if she was staying after school? How… how did you _get_ Luna's number? Since when have you-"

"Will you just listen?" Seria asked softly, looking at me with repentance. "A few days after you moved in with me, I met Luna down at Café la Geen. It wasn't a planned meeting, but I'd recognized her from that date you two'd went on, and from the information that Sayer had on her from the Arcadia Movement. I knew that the two of you were friends, I mean. I reintroduced myself to her and we got talking. She told me about what happened with the whole Ark Cradle business and what happened between the two of you, how you left after Zone was defeated and that she hadn't heard from you." Seria sighed. "I… I told her that you were living with me, and that you were okay. She missed you, Tyler, and she wanted to sort things out with you, but with everything that happened with Zone, she thought that you needed time to sort things out on your own first. I… I offered to let her know how you were going, so we exchanged numbers and I called her every week or so, just to let her know how you were doing. And I'd been doing that right up until after you disappeared. That's why I kept insisting that you call her, because… she was _waiting_ for you to call her."

I was already unable to articulate sentences, but Seria's statement almost left me completely at a loss for words, stumbling over the letter 'W' like a complete and utter spastic. I paused, taking a breath. "You didn't think of telling me any of this?! If I'd have known she _wanted_ to talk to me, _I would have gone and_ -" I stopped, eyes wide. I was getting far angrier than I should have. It was how it started with Kobi. He'd work himself up into a completely unreasonable rage and then fly off the handle, using me as a punching bag. I couldn't let myself get like that. I was home now. I was safe. There was no reason for me to be getting angry. Not at anyone else. It was my fault. All of it. I sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. I'm… I apologize." I exhaled sharply. "I appreciate you looking out for me, Seria, and I know that I've m-m-m-m-made a… a num-m-m-m…" I stopped, finding myself no longer able to continue speaking.

"A number of mistakes?" Seria asked softly. I nodded. "That's alright. We all have. But what matters is what we do after, to try and fix things."

"Th-th-that's why I came back. I came back because I _wanted_ to fix things, but now… I don't know if I can…" I could tell I had either started crying or was on the verge of it, but there was no point in me trying to hold anything back. "I've b-been lucky to have p-p-people in my life who care about me, but I d-d-don't d-deserve any of them. I mean, l-l-look at the p-people who I'm _supposed_ to care about. I turn on them for one fleeting moment of revenge." I sighed once more, and against every part of my brain telling me otherwise, I looked straight into Seria's eyes as I spoke. "I got more love and kindness from you than I _ever_ deserved, and if you never want to talk to me again, I just want you to know that I appreciate you and all that you've done for me, _so_ much."

"I know that, you silly boy. C'mere…" Seria sighed, pulling me into a hug, and I felt her place a hand to the back of my head. My body tensed for a moment, feeling trapped within her embrace, but I fought against that as best I could, shivering just a little. "We've all been struggling this past month, but let's just relax. I'll get us something to eat, and you just… sit down and tell me… whatever you want to tell me." Seria pressed her forehead against mine and smiled gently at me. "Okay?"

"Okay…" I muttered.

Seria's smiled widened and she ran her hand through my hair. "I like your hair, by the way." She said after a while.

A smile broke onto my face. "I was gonna say the same about yours. I like it long."

* * *

I sighed, removing my Duel Disk and placing it on the coffee table before sitting down opposite Seria, a bowl of vegetable curry and several plates between us.

"Why don't you tell me about that Duel Disk?" Seria suggested, eying it curiously.

"It… belonged to the me of another Dimension." I explained poorly.

Seria's eyes widened, almost spilling her food. " _What_?!"

"I know, it… it sounds insane, but that's where I've been for the past month or so. Another Dimension, trying to get home." I sighed. "Well, two, three Dimensions, actually. One was this weird Dimension where-" I cut myself off and shook my head. "Actually, you don't need to hear about that…"

"No, what is it-"

"No tru-trust me, you don't. But… I ended up in a world a little bit like this one. A _lot_ like this one, actually. Same people – _some_ of the same people," I corrected myself, "similar buildings. When I first got there, I thought I'd made it home. And then, I started to notice little things that weren't the same, but the big thing that made me realize something wasn't right was, well… Crow was alive…"

"You mean your old friend? The one who died last year?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I knew then that something was up, but Tim _insisted_ that everything was fine and-"

"Wait, hold on, who's Tim?"

"Yeah, sorry," I shook my head, damning myself for being such a scatterbrain, "he's, um… he's how, why I look like this." I said, putting my hands to my chest. "He, um… he, he was the one that brought me back to life. Used some sort of magic, I think. S-something like that. He's got weird powers. He _says_ he's human, but…" I trailed off, shaking my head once more. "I-I know, it all sounds crazy, and I can't prove a lot of it but," I looked down at my jacket, fishing around in my pocket for the USB that Tim had given me from Mokuba. "This," I showed the USB to Seria, "this has got a couple photos on it that'll probably explain things better than I'm able to."

"And where's this Tim now?"

"I don't know. I got back here alone." I paused, debating whether or not to tell Seria I'd spent a little bit of time in the Spirit World before deciding against it, at least for the moment, moving to place the USB on the coffee table.

"Okay… so, what about the Duel Disk? And this other version of you? Did he give you his Duel Disk?"

"Not exactly… He, um…" I blinked probably way more times than necessary, feeling my throat tighten. "He died. He was dead." Seria stayed silent as I continued. "When we arrived, Crow mistook me for him, but Tim found him. He'd taken his own life." I was regretting talking more and more, as none of what I was saying was appropriate conversation anywhere, least of all at the dinner table, but Seria seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say. I cleared my throat. "He had his Deck and Duel Disk nearby, along with a suicide note he'd written." I sighed, stuffing some food into my mouth to shut myself up for a bit.

Seria exhaled, looking down at the table. It was clear she didn't know what to say. I was the same. I'd said too much with no tact to how I'd been speaking. "So…" Seria started, but then she just shook her head and sighed.

"He wasn't weak, Seria." I felt the need to jump to the defense of my counterpart's memory. "I know that killing myself wasn't… _isn't_ the answer, but…" I sighed once more. "You know how I told you about that dream I had on the Ark Cradle? The one where…" I was only able to hold myself back for a moment, "Kobi… where Kobi raped Luna?" I asked. Seria nodded slowly. "W-w-well… in that Dimension, Kobi… the counterpart of me that was there… Kobi had raped _him_."

"Oh my God."

"And that's why… why he killed himself." I swallowed. "I know it doesn't justify it, but… I… I get it… When I found out that he did that, and that Kobi was the reason why… I just… I snapped." I closed my eyes, tensing them shut. "I'm sorry… you don't need to hear any of this-"

"No, I want to know what you've been through." Seria said quickly. "What did you do?" she asked softly, but I shook my head.

"Something I don't regret but probably should."

A few seconds passed, and then, bluntly, "Did you kill him?"

I hesitated, just like Joel did on the Ark Cradle, and that was enough confirmation. Seria put a hand to her lips, looking away from me for a moment. "S-Seria-"

"Tyler," Seria interrupted, "you don't have to explain anything to me. You killed one person… but I've played a hand in the deaths of at least a dozen young men, women and children, that were either Psychics with unstable powers or people like you… people with connections to other worlds. You could have ended up like them, but instead, we're here, talking, having a meal. What you said before, about not being sure if you could make things right, I know you don't really think that way. You wouldn't have come back otherwise." Seria smiled weakly. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Luna. I haven't been talking with her recently, so I don't know for sure how she feels now, but… I mean… we held a service for you, and to say she was upset would be an understatement. I think all of us…" Seria stopped. "Sorry… even though you're here now, it's kind of hard to think about."

"I'm really sorry I put any of you through that. I don't blame her or you or anyone for hating me-"

"I don't hate you…!" Seria sounded like she was starting to get a little irritated. "Tyler, it's so easy to wallow, and if everyone did it, life would just be, well, shit, to be frank." I'd never heard Seria swear before, and it was a little disarming to hear her do it. "Remember what I told you? Don't take everything you have for granted. I know it's…" Seria sighed, "I know it's hard. I know. And I want you to know, sincerely, I'm glad you're back."

"Thanks, Seria." I fumbled around with my food, a little cooler, and I realized that the sun was no longer hitting the table through the window, the sky outside a purple haze. "So… I have kind of a weird question, and… you don't have to answer, but…"

"What is it?" Seria asked softly.

"You said… you held a service for me? Who… who came?"

Seria's mouth dropped open a little as I asked probably one of the worst questions I'd ever asked. "Well… I mean, it wasn't a huge thing. N-not to say, you know, it wasn't a big deal, but it was just… a small, intimate sort of thing. Aside from me, there was Akiza, Yusei, Jack, Leo, Luna of _course_ , that reporter woman, some woman – Martha, I think, and… your mother."

"My mother came?"

"I know you two didn't really get along-"

"Well it wasn't that we didn't get along. It's just…" I sighed. "I mean, you know the story. She grew up in a different era." I suddenly cracked a smile. "But let me guess. She found out I killed myself and then basically didn't give two shits after that, right?" I asked, Seria hesitating. "You don't have to lie to protect me. I know what she's like. My mom's a lovely woman – to the very select group of people she likes and whose 'morals' don't conflict with her own. To everyone else, she, well…" I shook my head. "Anyway, that's not something I really want to get into."

"Are you going to let her know that you're okay? I mean, she _is_ your _mother_ -"

"Oh, no, no, no, no. It would do n-n-neither of us any good if we got involved in each other's lives again. Trust me, it's better off that she doesn't know anything about what's been going on." I paused. "You… you didn't tell her anything, right? Just that I was missing and presumed dead?"

Seria hesitated. "Everyone knew that you'd been struggling."

"So she gave one of her speeches then? About how suicide is wrong and selfish and how I'm a stupid child? Listen, she can think whatever she wants, I don't really g-g-g-give a damn anymore. She hates people that are fat, just _because_ they're fat. She thinks being gay is wrong and on the same level as diddling kids or taking drugs, _and_ she believes that taking medication to treat a mental illness is cowardly and shows you're weak, unable to deal with any problems yourself. So… what the Hell does _she_ even know anyway? I did everything for her. I protected her from _him_ and I never got any sort of acknowledgment, so she can go to Hell."

"Tyler-"

"I don't want anything to do with her, okay? A-a-and I-I know that's rich, because everyone probably feels the same way about me, but… it's just best if I forget about her…" I exhaled. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm tired, I'm angry, I just… I'm sorry."

"I know. We've got a lot to catch up on. And listen, I'm the same, I don't quite know where to begin with everything that's happened, but… we can take things slowly. You're back now, and we don't need to rush into anything. I've actually got a bunch of flextime I'm owed, so I can take some time off, and we can just talk and figure out what we're going to do, okay?"

"I appreciate the offer, but I can't ask you to do that. This is my mess that I need to clean up, and I'm not going to let you take the fall for me in any way. I-I-I'm not letting anyone sacrifice themselves for me. I… I-I can't…!" I tensed my hands. _Her_ death was _my_ fault. "I _won't_ …!"

Seria's brows were furrowed, and I realized I was shaking. "What are you talking about? Sacrificing?" Seria got up from her seat and came over to me. "Hey, hey… it's alright…" she cooed softly.

"I'm fine…!" I breathed. "I'm alive, and that's enough. I just…"

"Whatever happened to you while you were away, you know you can talk to me about, right?"

"Yeah…" I mumbled, my eyes sticking to the table.

"I mean, not just bits and pieces. You can tell me everything. I won't judge you, Tyler. You can trust me." She urged, suddenly taking one of my hands in hers as I flinched from the sudden contact, my eyes drawn to hers.

_I'm sorry…! I'm sorry… I didn't mean to…_

_N-no… I…_ _I'm_ _sorry… I shouldn't be scared, least of all of you…_

"I do. I do trust you, Seria…" I whispered, gently squeezing her hand.

And I did. So I told her.

Everything.

* * *

It would have taken a normal person half an hour, maybe forty-five minutes at the most, to fully explain everything that had happened to me to Seria, but thanks to my speech impediment, the time stretched further and further along. We stayed up long into the night, and eventually, after many false starts and trip-ups, I was able to explain everything to Seria. How Tim had found me and brought me back to life, our trip to Dimension K-22M, accidentally going to Dimension S-534, finding my counterpart's corpse and assuming his identity, killing Kobi's counterpart, getting arrested, meeting Joel's counterpart, Tim killing him, escaping and getting forced into the Friendship Tag Cup, my partnership with Tim, my friendship with Fizdis, seeing Jack, Leo and Luna's counterparts, allying ourselves with the Lancers, winning the Friendship Tag Cup, Martial Law getting declared in the City, my Shadow Duel with a Dark Signer, Fizdis's sacrifice, and the whole Interdimensional War thing.

In spite of what Tim may have thought, I actually _hated_ the sound of my own voice, but Seria had sat and listened quite happily, seemingly captivated by my story, just as she'd done after everything that had gone on after Zone and the Ark Cradle.

And just like back then, when I'd finished, Seria gave me a hug.

I'd ended up reheating my food several times, and we'd since moved from the kitchen table over to the coffee table, where Seria and I were sitting, going through the photographs on the USB. Not because she didn't believe me, but she wanted to know what Tim looked like, but when we opened up the USB, I was in for a shock.

There were more photos than just the three of me and Tim that I'd known about.

Way more.

As in, over a thousand.

Apparently, not only were there several hundred photos taken by drones of Neo Domino Topsider and Commoner citizens, but the High Council had been spying on us in our hotel rooms. 'Us' being every single competitor in the Friendship Tag Cup. They had photos of every room at every hour, everything timestamped down to the exact second. What really threw me was that there were photos of some of the competitors _showering_ , like Tim, Celina, Shinji and the other Luna.

It was disgusting, but I knew my having them wasn't vindictive or some sort of power play by Mokuba. He couldn't have gone through every single photo, so I supposed he just thought to copy everything over without even looking at it. He probably didn't even know what the High Council was up to, but I just couldn't believe the extent that they had apparently gone to. I mean, Tim didn't really care. Most of the photos with him in them had him naked anyway, showering or not, and I'd seemed to luckily avoid having any naked pictures of me taken. But it was just gross. Their whole society was gross.

Seria licked her lips, her eyes glued to the screen which showed a particularly good shot of Tim conversing with me during one of our Practice Duels. "Wow…" she breathed. "Tim's really… _hot_ …"

"Yeah…" I agreed without even meaning to, clicking through more photos.

Seria cleared her throat. "And you don't know where he is?"

"No." I lamented. "He could be anywhere in the multiverse right now. I was supposedly the only one who made it here. He was going to bring me back here."

"Shame." Seria mused. "I would've liked to have met him and thanked him for bringing you back to life and looking after you." Seria smiled, turning to me as I thought to myself that it wasn't _just_ him. "And what about evil not-Goodwin? And this Interdimensional War?"

"I don't know. R-R-R-Rogét said he'd return to his Dimension, and then persuade 'The Chancellor' to invade this one, but I don't know if he even made it back to his. But Slade was from Rogét's Dimension anyway, and _he_ was supposedly here on reconnaissance last time. Just because he's dead now… doesn't mean there might not be others here doing the s-same sort of stuff."

Seria put a thumb to her chin. "It's definitely a problem. We don't know for sure, and even if we did, we can't just go around broadcasting it to people. It'll be the Ark Cradle all over again. But… we can at least show the authorities what's on here. _Most_ of what's on here." She corrected herself.

I shrugged. "Whatever you think is the right thing to do, I'll… I'll do it. I mean, you know that stuff's… I had no idea that stuff was on here-"

"I know." Seria assured me. "Don't worry. I'll take care of it."

My heart skipped a beat as my clicking landed on a rather unflattering close-up of me alone in the bathroom, taken in the middle of what was obviously a massive speech block. My face was all screwed up and demented-looking. "Oh no…"

Seria turned to face me. "You don't have to be embarrassed. You're doing the best you can."

"No, it's not that. I was talking to… F-F-F-F-Fizdis…"

_Do you ever have that sometimes? You barely think about something, someone, and then one day they just randomly pop into your thoughts?_

"That Spirit?" Seria asked softly. "The one that…?" she trailed off.

I nodded, exhaling lengthily. "I think in this photo, it was right after I'd had a nightmare. Fizdis came in, a-and we got talking."

_How am I supposed to feel about that…?_

_There's not a right or wrong way to feel about anything…_

"Tyler…" Seria breathed, looking into my eyes. It must have been my tone or something, because Seria suddenly asked me "What happens if this fails? What happens if, hypothetically, no one else wanted anything to do with you now? What would you do then? Would you leave New Domino City? Would you… would you try and kill yourself again?"

Though I was a little surprised, it was a perfectly reasonable set of questions. I'd told her everything that had gone on with me but not _how_ it actually made me feel, and with my past history, she had every right to think that I was one incident away from crumbling. That I'd overreact like I did last time, and I'd definitely admit, it _was_ an overreaction, at least when it came to the perspective of my friends.

And I'd have liked to have thought that I was at least in a slightly better place than I was back then, even _if_ only _slightly_.

I closed my eyes and shook my head. "No, no, of course not. I get why you think I would, but that wouldn't accomplish anything, and I know that now. Not everyone gets a second chance, and I've had… way more than that, so if they don't want anything to do with me, that's perfectly fine. I'll… be upset, sure, but… I've been lucky to have _any_ support from _anyone_ , so… yeah, I'm not going to kill myself…"

It was the truth. As much as I blamed myself for Fizdis's death and wished it was me instead of her, there was no point in, well, _pointlessly_ throwing my life away, especially since it would fly in the face of all that she and Tim had done for me. I was fortunate, unlike those children in K22M, to be alive and healthy and _free_ most of all; free to get my life back on track.

I opened my eyes to see that Seria had a smile on her face. "Good. And you know that… if you ever need to talk to anyone-"

"I know. You'll… you're here…" I fumbled over my words. "And… I appreciate that, really." I hesitated. "A-a-actually, there is… one thing…"

"Yeah?"

"See… Tim was… Tim was going to come back here with me… and help me buy gifts for everyone. I-I-I don't know what happened to the rest of my money, but, um… I mean… I was wondering if you'd help me buy presents for everybody? Tim figured that might help smooth things over with everyone. And… I do want that. I can't just show up out of the blue and ask for everyone to accept me-"

"Tyler-"

"E-e-especially now I'm not… good with words…" I sighed. "I mean, I've already got ideas. I've thought about it a little. Akiza's present is easy. 'Botanica's Encyclopedia of Roses'. There's a copy of it at the library, but I want to get her a new copy. As for everyone else, I'm not sure. I mean, Jack and Leo have gone, and Yusei's never really been a material person, and Luna, I just… I don't know… is it wrong that my first instinct is _jewelry_? Is that a bit too much?"

"Tyler, your money, um…" Seria sighed, "something happened…"

"Oh, well, I mean, if you needed it for anything, that's, you know, fine. I mean, I wouldn't have gotten the job if you hadn't have recommended me in th-the first p…lace, so-"

"No, it's…" Seria sighed, her expression changing, and she closed her eyes. "When you… when you disappeared, as in… when the authorities had deemed what happened as a disappearance, we decided on holding that service for you. Sort of like a funeral. We knew… even though, officially you were 'missing', with everything that had gone on… with everything that you'd said to me, and put in those letters, that you… you'd killed yourself. But… everybody just needed closure. That's what I thought… so I… I extended an invitation not only to your mother Dibana, but to Joel as well. I know you two _especially_ didn't get along, but I thought he might just want to pay his respects. He didn't come." Seria sighed and then licked her lips. "When I arrived home from the service, I found that the apartment had been broken into. Nothing of value had been taken… except for your bank card. I got Miss Simington to help investigate, and we found that the bank card had been used and the money in your account had been withdrawn. Joel had broken into the apartment, taken your bank card and all of the money in your account and fled the City."

It was hard for me to even be surprised by what Seria had told me. Honestly, it was just par for the course with Joel. He'd always put himself first, to the detriment of everyone else. And after having had to deal with him in Dimension S-534, I was just done with him.

"Fine. Good. I don't care. As long as he stays out of my life, I'm happy." I said bluntly.

"Tyler-"

"I'm just sorry that he broke in and left you with such a financial burden. I mean, I wasn't good for much, I know, but, I was at least able to help you there in that respect. The money that I had left, that was for you." I shook my head, quickly getting up from the seat. "Damn. I've really… fucked things up here, haven't I?"

"You're home now, and that's the most important thing." Seria assured me. "So… how long were you planning to stay? Assuming everything goes well, I mean." Seria asked.

"It doesn't matter if everything goes well or not. New Domino City is my home. I'm not leaving. That's not saying I'm expecting I can just move back in here with you. Obviously, I'll go and find a place of my own-"

"Don't be ridiculous. You're staying here." She said matter-of-factly. "But I don't want you doing this sort of thing again."

"Are you serious?"

"Of _course_ I'm serious!" Seria maintained. "If you're just going to run off again and-"

"N-no, I mean, even after everything, everything I've done and everything I've told you, you want me to stay here?"

Seria softened almost immediately. "Yes. Tyler, I don't know about the others, but nothing's changed between us. The fact that you… the fact that you did some things you weren't proud of in that other Dimension doesn't matter to me. You came back here to ask me for forgiveness, but I should be asking _you_ for forgiveness. After everything I did with the Arcadia Movement-"

"That's forgotten." I spoke softly.

"Well then, so's everything bad that _you've_ done then. It goes both ways, Tyler. At some point, I think we both have to stop apologizing for the past and work towards a better future. Know what I mean?"

"Yeah… I get you…"

"Then that's what we'll do," Seria smiled. "Tomorrow, we'll get up early, get some breakfast somewhere, maybe, and go shopping to get everyone's presents. Although…" Seria suddenly stopped, putting a finger to her lips, "maybe it's best not to have you walking around in broad daylight while the authorities think you're missing… Hmm…" Her eyes brightened, and she looked back to me. "You know what? Leave it with me. I'll sort everything out."

"A-are you sure? I-I-I mean-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's all good. I'll take care of it. Um… just, be awake by eleven or something, okay?"

"Okay…"

"Alright." Seria nodded. "You remember where your room is, right?"

"Uh…" I stammered. I remembered, but it wasn't _my_ room. "I-I-I-I-I wasn't expecting _bed_ privileges right away. I was thinking I'd build _up_ to bed privileges and sleep on the couch or a futon or something in the meantime."

"Tyler, I'm not having you sleep on the couch like a drifter. If we're agreed that you're living here again, then the guest bedroom is yours. We can work out what you're going to do for a job and everything later, once we've sorted everything out with your friends."

_We_.

'We' as in, the two of us.

It was such a small thing, and she probably didn't even mean it to have the effect that it did, but honestly, it nearly broke me.

"After I… t-told you everything I've been through, I was honestly expecting that… you wouldn't want anything to do with me. You'd take one look at me and tell me to get lost." I admitted.

"No." Seria shook her head. "I'd never do that. Even… even if everyone else turned their backs on you, I wouldn't. I told you, I know what it's like. The Arcadia Movement… as much as I regret a lot of the work I did there, it was a place, the _only_ place where I wasn't judged because of a part of me that I couldn't control. And yes, I do _know_ how to control my power, but that didn't stop people from judging me regardless. People… people are afraid of things they don't understand." Seria stopped suddenly, as if trying to hold herself back from saying anything else. "I was lucky enough to be given a second chance myself, so… I'm not going to judge you, and I'm not going to turn you away. Like you said, New Domino City is your home, but more than that, your home is right here."

"S-S-Seria…" I stammered, my face getting a little hotter.

Seria shook her head once more. "Anyway, um… Your bed's still… still there. In fact, all your stuff is still there, except for your… card." Seria sighed.

"Forget about that…" I whispered, and the two of us went quiet for some time.

"Hey…" Seria spoke up after a while. "You're tired, huh?"

I hadn't even realized it. All that shit with the final round of the Friendship Tag Cup, the title bout against Jack, Neo Domino getting thrown into chaos, my Shadow Duel with Sergey, getting rescued by Ancient Fairy Dragon and being taken to the Spirit World, had all happened in the span of one day. It wasn't that my body was tired – I'd rested long enough in the Spirit World – but I just felt so mentally and emotionally drained by everything that had happened.

"Y-yeah…" I breathed.

"Come on then." She ushered, taking me by the hand and leading me down the hall and into the guest bedroom. And as Seria had said, all my stuff was still there, not that I deserved any of it. The bed had been made, which was admittedly not something I usually did. Seria had obviously come in and tidied up the place.

A shallow breath escaped me as I caught sight of a photo that Seria had stuck up on the wall.

A photo of me with the words 'In Strength, For You' written underneath.

I walked over to it, overcome with a stillness as I recalled what Tim had said to me.

_You might feel small and insignificant sometimes, but never forget that somewhere out in that vast multiverse there's someone who loves you. Doesn't matter what kind of love – empathy, the bond between friends, sexual attraction or unconditional love, someone, somewhere out there loves you._

"You know… it really is great that you're back." Seria said to me, breaking me from my thoughts.

"Huh?" I turned to her.

"I just… I don't want you thinking that coming back here was a mistake, because… if nothing else, _I_ missed you."

"I missed you too, Seria." I smiled.

Tim was right.

"Anyway, I'll… leave you to get some sleep. See you in the morning."

"Good night."

Seria moved to the doorway but stopped there, turning back to me. "If you… I don't know, if you have a bad dream or something, come and talk to me, okay?"

"O-okay…"

Seria nodded, and then excused herself, closing the door behind her as she left. I tossed my jacket atop the desk and shimmied under the covers of the bed. Everything smelled new, fresh. It was great.

I pressed my head back against the pillow and closed my eyes. Weirdly vivid images formed in my mind, making my head spin. Faces, shapes, morphing and melding together nonsensically amidst a background of color, like a demented magic eye poster. I felt like I was going to be sick, but not in a bad way.

On the contrary, tomorrow was going to be the first day of the rest of my life. I'd buy a bunch of presents, see my friends again and patch things up with them (or _start_ to at the very least). No, for the first time in a long time, things were looking up for me.

All I had to do now was not screw it up.

* * *

"…Yes, hi, it's Seria Dale calling. I need to speak with Doctor Fudo regarding… w-well it's not an emergency, but if he could just get back to me whenever he has a moment… I just need to speak with him…" Seria's muffled voice came to me, and in my state, I wasn't sure if she was speaking to me in a dream or I was half-awake in a morning fog.

I sighed, rolling over in bed and letting myself drift back into unconsciousness for what felt like only a moment, but when the next moment came, Seria's voice was gone, and I was cold.

I opened my eyes, the rest of my body stiff as I stared up at the ceiling. It took me longer than it should have to realize, to remember that I wasn't in the hotel room with Tim anymore. I was home. Home alone.

"New day…" I whispered to myself. New day, new life. I could leave everything involving Kobi and Joel and _all_ of that shit behind me. I had the entire rest of my life to look forward to. Thanks to Fizdis and Tim.

I tensed every part of my body, willing myself to get up as I scrambled out of bed. I didn't have a phone anymore, so I wasn't sure what time it was, and Seria had wanted me up by eleven.

I hadn't even realized that I'd had the best sleep I'd ever had until I was stripping down for a shower. I'd always felt so groggy and crappy waking up each day for the Friendship Tag Cup. In fact, the only other time I'd had even _close_ to a comparable night's sleep was the brief amount of time I'd spent at Luna's place.

I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror, feeling my pecks and running my hands down my chest. I had as much of a perfect body as I was probably ever going to have, and I wasn't going to ruin this one.

I blasted the water over my body and my mind was already off, racing to think of what presents I could buy for everyone. I didn't want it to become background noise, lest I stood there wasting water, but as I racked my brain, a thought popped into my head. One I hadn't really thought of but probably should have at some point.

Whether or not my friends accepted me, why did that _matter_? Could I not just have been happy on my own? Why did I need the approval of others to be happy? Was I so weak that I had to define myself and my happiness through others? Was _Joel_ _right_?

_Even after all this time, you still can't stand on your own two feet…_

"No." I told myself aloud. Joel wasn't right, but at the same time, he _was_. Having friends was great. It gave me a purpose, but I didn't know who I was back then. I had no real identity of my own. I _needed_ everybody else. But I knew who I was now, and if I was to completely allow myself to become dependent on everyone else, to the point of being unable to function otherwise, then what would happen to _me_ if something happened to them? Or they all left like Jack and Leo? I'd be alone again, and the cycle of self-destruction would repeat.

I didn't need that. I didn't want that. I was _better_ than that. I fought through Kobi and Joel's abuse on my own, with no help from my mother or Explosivo or Taze or anyone. I had to get stronger for myself, like Tim, because there was no way in Hell that I was going to let myself get put in a position like that _ever_ again. To feel, as Tim had said, like my existence was defined by the likes of them and what they did to me or how they made me feel.

I sighed, resolved. When it came to Yusei, Luna and everyone else, I'd give it the best damn shot I could, and if it happened, it happened, but I wasn't going to beat myself up about it if it all went to shit, and they collectively decided that they wanted no more to do with me.

I stepped out into the living room, fully dressed and ready for whatever the Hell the day threw at me, renewed with a sense of understanding and focus. I walked over to where my Duel Disk rested and gently ran my hands over the glove, pausing as my fingers hit the Deck compartment, thanking the Spirits for watching over me.

I looked over at the countertop and saw, underneath the phone hooked to the wall, a post-it note from Seria:

_'Hey,_

_I've taken the USB with me for Miss Simington to look over. If you need me, call me, okay?_

_I'll be back soon._

_Seria_

_xoxo'_

I softened. Seria was really going above and beyond for me, taking everything in stride. The fact that she was so accepting of me, where I'd been and what I'd gone through, spoke wonders about her belief in me. And she obviously trusted me enough to think I wouldn't just run away while she was gone, not that I _would_ , but the fact that she didn't even seem to _think_ I would was extremely reassuring.

There was one thing though. One thing that had been bubbling within me ever since Seria had told me about it. Something I needed to say, get off my chest.

I grabbed the phone from its holder, quickly punching in the number and pressing the phone to my ears as it rang. The ten seconds it took for the line to click was torture for my nerves, I could already feel the block forming in my throat, but I forced every fiber of my cursed being to focus. I closed my eyes. I knew exactly what I wanted to say. All I had to do was _say_ it.

"Dibana speaking…" a voice came through the other line.

I breathed in through my nose and spoke as calmly and as firmly as I could. "You…" first stutter of the day, "can't blame me for what happened."

"…What?"

"I shouldn't need to apologize for anything. You were a good mother, but you married a fucking monster, and I'll be _damned_ if you're going to come to my service and lecture everyone about how much of a shithead I was."

There was a pause. "Who _is_ this?"

"Your son." I answered.

A few moments passed before I heard a click, and the line went dead. I couldn't help but laugh softly to myself. Probably not something I should have done in retrospect, but _damn_ did it feel good! It was about fucking time I stopped taking shit and started giving it. She didn't need me? I didn't fucking need _her_!

I put the phone back in its holder. I didn't care if she tracked the number, I didn't care if she thought it was a prank call, I didn't care if she got the authorities involved. But she needed to know that what she did and what she said was _not_ okay.

_You're just a selfish child and I don't want to hear from you again!_

I was tired – done with her, absolutely.

I went and sat down at the coffee table with a sigh, looking at my Duel Disk once more before picking it and taking my counterpart's Deck out of it. Then I picked up my other Deck, the one I'd won the Friendship Tag Cup with, and laid them both out in front of me.

Thirty-nine cards in my counterpart's Deck. Only Fizdis was missing.

I looked at both Decks for a while and decided I'd make something new out of both of them. They might not have been the best Decks, but they got me home, and if I was going to keep _anything_ from that whole ordeal, it was going to be them. I started picking out cards from both Decks and putting them into a new pile.

I don't know how long I'd spent, but at some point, my focus was pulled to the door of the apartment, Seria calling to me from behind.

"Tyler! We're back!"

"'W- _we_?'" I asked aloud, turning to the door.


	16. Little Talks

_"Psychic Duelists, listen up…!" Sayer barked. "The next operation to be carried out by our very own Arcadia Movement has been decided upon…! The Fortune Cup… Apparently, a large number of Duelists with amazing skills are set to participate in this tournament, with the winner being crowned the champion of New Domino City." Sayer explained. "Of course, the title has little interest to me. The main reason for going is that we suspect Sector Security to be plotting something behind the scenes… And I can't let them go about their business without any oversight now, can I…?" he snickered, turning to the young girl behind him. "Akiza, come!" he shouted._

I remembered then. Her voice was cold, dark and distant.

_Yes, sir. Everything will be as you wish, Sayer._

Not anymore.

"Tyler…!" her voice was softer, gentler than it had perhaps ever been. If I hadn't have been looking at her as she spoke, I wouldn't have known it was her.

I continued to stare at the brown-eyed burgundy-haired girl-turned-woman in shock, my mouth hanging open as I struggled to stammer out her name. "A-Akiza…!" I stuttered, quickly getting to my feet. Number two for the day, I noted, though I knew it was pointless of me to try and count. I'd lose track at some point.

She was more beautiful than ever. I noticed immediately that she no longer had that large silver hairpin in her hair. Instead, she had a red headband covering the top of her head. Like Seria, she'd changed her hair as well. It was now longer, and her bangs had been cut. She was at least a foot taller as well and wasn't wearing her school uniform like I thought she would have been. Instead she wore a rose-pink shirt, long black form-fitting pants, and had been wearing a pair of white sneakers which she'd taken off as she'd entered the apartment. Her Signer Mark was on full display as well, no longer hidden by a pair of elbow-length gloves or anything like that.

Akiza's eyes widened as she all but leapt over to me and wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into a hug. "A-ah, hey!" I froze up, feeling her chest press against mine. "H-h-hi…! Hi…!" I shivered, unable not to notice that, with how she was hugging me, her breasts had gotten bigger. "Um… um… okay… um…" I stammered. Truthfully, I had no idea what to do or say. I hadn't planned on meeting her again so soon, especially without a gift or anything to give her.

I obviously must have looked like I was in distress because Seria quickly spoke up from behind her. "Hey, Akiza, he's… he's, um… we're working on physical contact."

"No, no, it's fine. This is fine~" I said, my voice cracking as I, for some reason, felt the need to try and make things worse for me by trying to speak. I closed my eyes and stammered out "I-it's good to see you again, A-A-Akiza…" as I gently placed my hands on her back. Akiza didn't seem to be in any rush to let go of me, and I was honestly a little bit surprised at her temperament.

It was, after all, a far cry from what happened at the end of the Ark Cradle incident seven months ago. I remembered hearing all of them shouting, Akiza, Jack, Leo, Luna, calling out Yusei's name as he came back from the Ark Cradle, and I was there with him, only just regaining consciousness. They all called for him. Not for me. Not _one_ of them said my name. Not one of them sounded relieved or happy that I was alive. Only Yusei acknowledged me when I went to leave. For a little while after that I'd wondered if there was something I wasn't getting from that. I might have been reading too much into things, but as the days turned to weeks and then to months, it felt like that was the point that they'd all had enough of my shit and just let me go and do whatever I was going to do. That's why they didn't talk to me for six months.

I had to remind myself of that, that the last time Akiza saw me was right at the end of the Ark Cradle incident seven months ago. She'd been to my service, and supposedly presumed along with everyone else that I'd died, so of course she'd have some sort of reaction to the revelation that I was alive, even if she didn't care. Hell, she and Joel had done that on the Ark Cradle.

But there, even through all of that, even though she should have hated me, she didn't. In fact, she was the one who rescued me. She saved my life.

_Leave me here… Just let me die…_

_That's not an option! Come on!_

"It's really you…" Akiza whispered, tightening her hold on my body. "What happened to you, Tyler?"

"I… I… I…" I stammered like an idiot, exhaling in anger. "Sorry…" I muttered, doing my best to pace myself as I briefly looked over at Seria. "D-did you-"

"I didn't plan this, honest. Akiza was at Café la Geen when I went to get breakfast for us, and I couldn't get away with breakfast for two with just me. I figured in the moment I'd just tell her that you were here, you were alive, and you were okay. Next thing I knew, she was following me back home." Seria explained.

"I had to come…" Akiza moved her head from the left of mine, looking at me with her gorgeous brown eyes as I felt myself get even more flustered.

"I-I-I-I…" I repeated, turning my head as I sighed. "I'm sorry… y-you probably have a lot of questions… but… before that, I-I just want to say… I'm really sorry for everything I put you through. On, on, on the Ark Cradle when I hurt you in that Duel, a-and before that when you got your… Duel Runner Licence and I made that… _stupid_ remark to Crow, and, just…" I sighed again, "I'm sorry for everything, _fuck_ …!" I hated it. I was able to go pretty much toe to toe with my mom but became a stammering mess with Akiza. I couldn't be like that, I had to be strong like Tim.

I gently pushed away from Akiza, removing myself from her embrace. "Tyler, are you okay?" Seria asked me, undoubtably able to see the strain visible on my face.

"Yeah… yeah, no, I'm fine." I struggled out, focusing on Akiza. "Sorry, I… I wish I'd known you were coming. I'd have t-t-tried to get my thoughts together. M…aybe I wouldn't be such a mess."

"I actually did try to call earlier, but it said the number was in use." Seria told me.

"Oh, yeah, it-it-it-it-it was…!" I stuttered, telling myself to just take it easy, take deep breaths, and think about what I was going to say.

"Oh, did you call Luna?" Seria asked, sounding incredibly hopeful.

"No, I…" I sighed, "I called my mom. You were right, Seria. I… I had to let her know I was okay."

My tone, the way I'd said it seemed to belie a genuine want to reconnect with my mother, because Seria asked me "What did you do?" with a tone like a parent would use with their child if they knew they'd done something wrong and wanted them to own up to it.

I pushed some air out my nose. "I called her, said my piece and hung up. Probably shouldn't have done it, but she probably shouldn't have married Kobi, so yeah." I shrugged.

"Wh-what made you decide to call her?" Seria asked.

I turned away from the girls, straightening myself up as I closed my eyes. "I had an epiphany while taking a shower earlier. Why the Hell am I defining myself through other people? I've made plenty of mistakes, but I'm not the only one, so why should I pretend like anything and everything is my fault and _just_ my fault, you know? Like, why the fuck do I have to bend my shit when I've made mistakes, and apparently other people haven't. Apparently, I'm… apparently, I'm the only one that's _ever_ done _anything_ bad ever in the history of anything, right? That's what I get from Dibana and Kobi and Joel. I just keep hearing that fucking voice in my head. 'I'm selfish', 'I'm selfish', but back then, I was anything but. Everything that I did, back then, was for her." I turned back around to face them. "If I was selfish, I would have let Kobi fuckin' have her, right? Let him do what he said he was going to do. Would I have been a bad son, a 'selfish child', then? Probably, right? So, you know, whatever, fuck her!" I huffed.

"Tyler…" Seria muttered.

"I know that's probably not what you had in mind when you said I should call her, and I admit I probably shouldn't have said anything. I p-p-p-probably should have waited, but… I've said it, and I don't care what she thinks, or what happens. It's done. Anyway, now that that's sorted," I turned to Akiza. "Sorry, Akiza, that you had to listen to that. I-I-I'm sorry that all of this has just happened, that… y-y-y-you thought I was dead and suddenly, I'm back. I wanted to do… I wanted to get you a present, I wanted to figure out what I was going to do because this is not, this _was_ not how I planned things. I…" I exhaled sharply, cupping my hand over my eyelids. "I've screwed it up."

"You haven't." I heard Akiza say. I opened my eyes to find her looking at me, tears welling in her eyes but a warm smile on her face nonetheless. "This… this is a shock for _me_ too, Tyler. I thought you were dead. I…" Akiza moved to me once more, hugging me again. "I'm glad you're not…"

"Aki…za…" I stumbled, wrapping my arms around her back.

"Aww…" Seria cooed, and it was only then that I realized she was holding a cardboard drink holder with three drinks and a brown paper bag. "Sorry, I don't want to be _that girl_ ," Seria interrupted, "but your breakfast is getting cold." She said, walking over to the kitchen table.

"You're an angel, Seria." I smiled at her, letting go of Akiza.

"I _did_ say I'd get you breakfast." Seria smiled, getting some plates out from the cabinet. I watched her hesitate for a moment before she turned back to face me. "Listen, Tyler…" Seria started, her mouth open like there was something else she wanted to say, but she didn't say anything, instead just closing her eyes for a few seconds. "No, it's alright." She said aloud.

I licked my lips. "I-I know I shouldn't have called her-"

"It's okay." She assured me with a smile, getting back to putting things on plates.

I turned back to Akiza. "I've… p-p-p-p-probably made you late for school now, haven't I?"

Akiza hesitated, returning her arms to her sides and moving away from me. "Tyler… I graduated last month."

"Oh…" I muttered. "Oh, yeah… yeah… that… probably explains why you're not in your school uniform…" I mumbled sheepishly. Of course. While it had only been a month since I'd been away, it had been _seven_ months since I'd last had contact with Akiza or the others. Of _course_ things had changed since then. Why wouldn't they have?

Seven months is a long time, an especially long length of time to go without seeing people I supposedly considered my friends. I mean, I called them my friends, but if I hadn't spoken to any of them, was it really right of me to think of them as my friends, and for me to think that they'd still feel the same way, especially after everything I'd put them through?

I could have been sitting on my ass for a month and no one would have been able to tell the difference. The only reason people knew anything was because I was living with Seria, but if I'd been living alone, no one would have known anything. I'd have just been sitting at home all day watching YouTube videos and getting angry at insignificant things over the internet, suffering in silence.

But Akiza, Seria and everyone else had been moving on with their lives, while I was struggling to even get back here. Just because I hadn't seen them in a while didn't mean that things hadn't happened while I was gone. After all, both Jack and Leo had left New Domino City, Akiza had graduated and Yusei had gotten a job with the reformed M.I.D.S, fixed the Momentum problem that had supposedly plagued Zone's future, and was probably well on his way to getting a Nobel Prize for it and everything else he'd done.

"I'm sorry," I sighed. "Things have changed. You've ch-ch-changed. I've ch-changed-"

"I don't care if you've changed. You're alive, and that's all that matters." Akiza's smile returned and she moved in to hug me again. "Yusei and the others are going to be so happy you're back."

"You mean Yusei and Luna, and even then, maybe not even her. I wouldn't blame her, after everything I put her through…" I trailed off, eyes averting Akiza's for a moment before I returned to meet her gaze. "I… I know that Jack and Leo have left New Domino City."

"I'm sure they'll be glad to know you're okay even if they're not around anymore."

"But it was my fault that they left, wasn't it?"

Akiza seemed a little taken aback. "Wh-who told you that?"

"I-I," I stumbled over my words, "I mean, Ancient Fairy Dragon… before c-c-coming back here, I spent a bit of time in the Spirit World rec-recuperating, and she told me that-"

"Wait a minute," Seria interrupted, "you were in the Spirit World? For how long?"

"I-I don't know," I shook my head, "time's not the same there as it is here. Um, I, not for very long. I, only to rest, after-" I stopped myself and closed my eyes. "I wasn't supposed to come back here, not like this. You know that. It was an accident. I was supposed to come back with Tim, I was supposed to have gifts. Fizdis was…" I sighed, "oh, _God_ , Fizdis…!" I groaned.

"I don't understand. Tim? Fizdis?" Akiza turned to Seria. "Seria, do you know-"

"Akiza, a lot of this, I'll tell you later, okay?" Seria had said this to Akiza but she was otherwise entirely focused on me. "I _thought_ it was strange how you knew that Jack and Leo had gone…"

I sighed once more, rubbing my eyelids. "And it was my fault, right?" I pressed, "They left because of me."

"Well, not with _Jack_ , no." Akiza told me. "I mean, well, you know him better than I do, but Yusei told me he always had ambitions bigger than this City."

"What about Leo?"

"That's…" Akiza hesitated. "That's between Leo and Luna. I'm sure Luna will tell you about it when you see her-"

"Which you can do later." Seria cut in. "But, I mean," Seria squirmed, "Come on, people, breakfast. I got you a mocha frappé, Tyler, and I don't want the cream to spoil."

I looked over at the kitchen table. "Yep, sorry, sorry." I apologized, heading over to the table with Akiza and taking a seat. Seria had put an egg muffin onto my plate and BLTs onto hers and Akiza's before sitting down herself with a smile and a feigned sigh.

"I know this is probably not what you had in mind, but, cheers!" Seria beamed, holding out her cappuccino. "To hanging tough, staying strong, and-"

"And for believing in me." I raised my drink.

"I was going to say, 'new beginnings'. Me believing in you isn't worthy of a cheer, 'cause you _know_ you'll always have me in your corner." Seria continued to smile. "You don't need to keep anything from me either. I was just surprised that you were in the Spirit World. I'm _still_ surprised you're here, actually."

I looked towards the door to the apartment. "Did you think I'd run off?" I asked.

"No, of course not. Just… that you're even here at all." Seria tapped my drink with hers. "So, cheers, Tyler." **  
**  
"Cheers, Seria." I smiled. "Oh, and, uh… thanks for the food."

"Thank you for the food." Akiza nodded to Seria before turning to me. She didn't say anything, she didn't do anything, she just watched me as I took a bite of my food.

I took a sip of my drink, and I wanted to once again thank Seria for the meal, but I felt a block in my chest. Against my better judgment, I decided to try and push through it. "This is r…r-r-r…" I stammered.

"It's alright…" Seria cooed, reaching across from the table and putting a hand on my arm. "Take your time."

I sighed, closing my eyes, saying the words to myself in my head before working them into a rhythm. "This-is-really-good-Seria. Thank-you." It sounded awful and robotic, but at least I was able to get the words out.

"You're welcome." Seria once again smiled warmly at me. "Just take it easy, okay? We're not in any rush." Seria then turned to Akiza. "Sorry, I shouldn't speak for you. You probably have somewhere you need to be-"

"That can wait. What's… Tyler, are you alright? I mean, I still don't know what happened to you, you look really…" Akiza started to trail off, "but you sound…"

I nodded. "I have a… speech impediment now, be…cause of brain damage." I tensed my eyes closed and shook my head. "I-I-I-I-I d…on't know what Seria's told you, but… the short version is…" I could feel another major block coming and I stopped. "Sorry, gimme half an hour and I'll get this." I could say _that_ , but not what I wanted to say. "I w-was dead for a little while, and that's why my brain's not…" I was starting to get pretty fed up, "not good. Sorry," I apologized. "It's worse when I'm n-n-nervous."

Seria leaned over to Akiza. "When we thought he'd, you know, gone and done _it_ ," Seria did her best, it seemed, to avoid using the word 'suicide' as she continued, "well, it turned out he _had_ , but, well, someone brought him back to life. _Total_ dreamboat who did it. Muscles, tall, actually makes Tyler look _really_ short by comparison-I'm getting off-topic." Seria immediately caught herself. "He's got photos I can show you later, but the important part is, in spite of where he's been and what he's been through, Tyler's home now."

I nodded in agreement. There was more to it than that, but none of that mattered. I'd left that world behind. That Kobi, that Joel. I wasn't with the Lancers, and I had no way of getting in contact with them even if I wanted to. There was no way that I'd be able to help them, and then even if there was, I knew I wouldn't be much help anyway. I only got as far as I did in the tournament because of Tim, and I only survived against Sergey because of…

Fizdis.

I shivered. I couldn't forget her, I'd _never_ forget her. I wouldn't let myself forget her. Her and Tim, but _especially_ her. I wouldn't have made it home if it wasn't for her, back to the place that she…

_Of course, I'll come back with you_ … _I know your friend has already offered to help you with the rest of your friends, but I'd like to help you there as well, if you'd let me…_

It all would have been so much easier with her at my side.

"Tyler, are you alright?" Seria asked, pulling me from my thoughts as she once again put a hand on mine.

"Huh? Oh, y-yeah…!" I said, grabbing a tissue and dabbing my eyes with it as I tried my best to give her a reassuring smile. At least I had Seria. Thank _God_ for Seria. "Anyway," I cleared my throat, "um, how'd it go with Mina?"

"Oh, well, I've given her the USB. But, um, she wants to come over later today and talk with you. You know, verify that you're alright and everything, ask you some questions. Originally, she wanted you to come down to the station to do it, but I thought you might prefer to have that discussion here."

"Yeah," I nodded, "that would… I mean, I'm already _barely_ coherent here, I can't imagine what I'd be like down at the station." I gently squeezed Seria's hand as I looked at her. "Thank you, Seria. I'm really sorry I'm making you go to all this t-t-t-t-trouble for me."

"It's no trouble, Tyler." Seria assured me with a smile, gently squeezing my hand in return. "With any luck, we'll be able to get this whole thing squared away by the end of the day. The good news is that the City didn't declare you legally deceased, since even with everything else, you would have had to have been missing for at least seven years. So, because you weren't _legally_ declared as deceased, just missing, it's not going to be as much of a hassle sorting everything out. In retrospect, we probably jumped the gun a little bit in having your service so soon after you'd disappeared."

I shook my head. "No, y-you made the right call. I mean, I'd written those notes, I had intent. The writing was on the wall. And I _did_ die after all. It's not like I failed. Well, I mean, technically, yeah, I'm alive now, but that's only thanks to… t-t-to Tim. He said I was well and truly dead by the time he found me, but he didn't know how long for or anything like that. The only reason he did it was because he could tell I committed suicide. And I mean, what, someone passes away, you have the funeral and the wake within a week or so, right?"

"Most of the time, I suppose…" Seria muttered. Again, it wasn't an appropriate conversation to be having at the breakfast table, but it was important. I'd been so focused on reconciling with my friends that it completely slipped my mind that I was in fact a missing person, and as much as I would have liked to have put everything else on the backburner and focus solely on my friends, it was probably more important that I sort out the whole 'missing person' thing first.

"Did M-M-M-Mina say _when_ she wanted to see me today?" I asked.

"As soon as possible. Is that okay with you?"

I nodded quickly. "Of course. I'd-I'd-I'd… l-like to get this sorted out as soon as I can."

"That's very good of you, Tyler. I'll give Miss Simington a call after breakfast and see when she's available." Seria tapped the table. "Right now though, we should probably eat."

"Y-yes…" I agreed.

* * *

It was a quiet meal. It shouldn't have been, but it was. I didn't know what to say, and it was clear that Akiza didn't really know either. But at the very least, the fact that she stayed… well, she could have left at any time, but she didn't. That had to mean something. I wouldn't have blamed her either way. I just wished I was more prepared, but then again, she was probably just as surprised to see me as I was her. All throughout breakfast she looked like she had so many things she wanted to ask me.

After breakfast, as Seria had excused herself to go and call Mina, I moved to her seat to be close to Akiza as I spoke. "Akiza…" I exhaled softly, immediately feeling a block in my chest. "It's n-n-n-not that I don't want to tell you what's been going on, it's just that, w-w-with my speech-"

"I know. Don't worry. I get it." She said quickly, almost dismissively.

"It's a long story-"

"You said it's worse when you're nervous, right? Before, when you were talking about your mom, you were pretty much fine, but then, talking to me like _this_ , you're…"

"A wr-wreck, yeah. It's just, I wanted things, I _want_ things to be perfect. I didn't want it to happen like this, to be unprepared, to not have a gift, to not know what I was going to say-"

"Well that's not very fair, is it?" Akiza suddenly cut me off. "You said your mom had to know you were okay, but what about us? You were just going to wait, and not say anything?"

"A-Aki-Akiza, please-"

Akiza stopped, steadying herself as she exhaled. "Tyler, I'm… I'm not going to yell at you. I'm just… frustrated…! I'm trying to understand, I want to understand, but you're not _giving_ me anything, you're not _telling_ me anything! Where have you _been_? What _happened_ to you? I thought you were _dead_ and then I find Seria buying you _breakfast_! I mean, we're friends, aren't we? And more than that… I always thought that… out of everyone in Team 5D's, you and I…" Akiza exhaled once more, and I shivered.

It was sudden, unexpected, but just hearing that name 'Team 5D's', and everything that went down, I opened my mouth and started talking without even thinking. "I was _never_ a part of Team 5D's." I told her, and that seemed to stop Akiza in her tracks. "Everyone else was." I continued once I was able to. "You were, Crow was, _Bruno_ was, but I wasn't. Some… some _guy_ was offered a spot on the pit crew, but I wasn't even considered, even _before_ my accident. Like, I totally get, you know, having an accident, not being fit to be part of a team, I get it. But I mean… before then, it was just… Yusei, Jack and Crow. I wasn't asked to be on the pit crew. I didn't even know that that was a _thing_ and then, suddenly, oh, random stranger _Bruno_ gets on and I'm just brushed to the side-"

"How do you think _I_ felt?!" Akiza snapped. "I was _Jack's_ replacement while he was in The Facility, and then when Crow died, I became _his_ replacement! You don't think _that_ made _me_ feel worthless? Like I wasn't good enough? I was practically just a benchwarmer!" Akiza sighed. "That's what I'm _saying_ , Tyler, you and I, we were both in the Arcadia Movement, we both had similar upbringings with our parents. I… I just thought that if you felt like you couldn't talk to anyone about what happened because you thought they wouldn't understand or relate, that I… that you _could_ talk to me…"

"I thought you d-d-d-didn't want anything to do with me." I stated. "I d-didn't hear from you after the b-b-b-business on the Ark Cradle, so I assumed that was it. Friendship over." I said simply. I felt like I might have come across a little too harshly in how I spoke, so I lowered my tone and told her, truthfully, "I'm not angry about that, by the way. You had every right to feel that way, and you still do."

Akiza's posture softened and her mouth dropped just a little as Seria came back into the room. "Miss Simington can come around in the evening." She said, before probably noticing how tense I was, because she then asked me "Hey, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Seria." I told her, closing my eyes. "Thank you…" I sighed, opening my eyes and looking to Seria. "So… this evening…?" I asked, Seria licking her lips as she nodded. "Am I… am I going to get in trouble? W-with the authorities, I mean."

Seria's eyes averted mine for a moment. "I don't know. I don't think so." She licked her lips again, cleared her throat, shook her head and put a hand on my shoulder. "Listen, if I can be pardoned for my work with the Arcadia Movement, and if Mr. Jaeger can be elected Mayor of the City after working with Yliaster for umpteen years, then I don't think you've got anything to worry about." Seria assured me.

"Right…" I nodded quickly. "Yeah, that's right, Lazar was with Yliaster for years, wasn't he?" I looked to Akiza just for a moment. "And he stopped us just outside Goodwin's Mansion to prepare us for that ritual. He must have known that his boss was a Dark Signer, right?" I sat back in my chair. "Yeah… noth… nothing to worry about…" I told myself, straightening up and looking to Seria once more. "So… what do I do _now_ then?"

" _Well_ ," Seria's eyes once again averted mine, focusing behind me. "I saw that when we came in that you were looking through your cards. Were you rebuilding your Deck before?" Seria asked.

I turned back to the coffee table and the stacks of cards on top of it. "Yeah, I…" I cleared my throat. "It's not finished yet. I mean… I don't… I don't know if, if I'll even p-play again… I just thought I'd try and make something out of the c-cards that got me home."

Seria slowly swayed from side to side. "Do you want to Duel _now_ ~?"

"Um…" I turned to face Seria. "Not… really…" I said honestly.

"Aww, come on, what's the point of building a Deck if you're not going to Duel with it? Don't you want to test it out? Besides, it's been _ages_ since we Dueled, and I want to see what cards you picked up while you were away. Plus, I'd like to see how that new Duel Disk of yours works too."

My eyes kept to my Duel Disk, resting on the coffee table. "I don't even know if it _will_ work here." I told her. "The last time I used it was…"

_I couldn't save the other Tyler… but… I can… I can save_ _you_ _…!_

Seria put a hand to her lips, as she too recalled, from what I had told her, the last time I'd Dueled. "Oh, yes, of course, I'm so sorry…" She whispered. "I… I _completely_ understand if you don't want to, but… Tyler, you're not in danger anymore. I'm not going to hurt you, you're not going to lose anybody, it's just us. You're perfectly safe." Seria quickly took my hands in hers and I fidgeted. "It's alright…" she cooed.

"I-I know…" I gently squeezed Seria's hands as I exhaled. "Someday I'll get that through my head." I closed my eyes.

It _was_ alright. It was just one Duel. It didn't _have_ to be this big thing, a life or death struggle. It was just unfortunate that that's what Dueling was for me. Most of my Duels in recent memory _weren't_ casual games for fun. They were fights for survival, to protect someone I care about, or just for the right to get home. But even when I was younger, and it was just me and Joel, I didn't have fun, and I was _always_ in danger then. _  
_  
But I was safe. For the first time in a long time, I'd be able to play this game. And that's what it was: a game. Just because the game supposedly took inspiration from ancient Egyptian ceremonies and the monsters existed in a plane of existence parallel to our own, that didn't change the fact that Duel Monsters was a game, and it was something to be enjoyed and have fun doing.

_I'm glad I'm able to make you smile. I want to make everyone here smile, and I'll do that by Dueling with you, and winning!_

"Yuya…" I verbalized, opening my eyes at the realization that that's what he was talking about. Smiling and having fun with Dueling. I couldn't _believe_ how long it took me to understand that.

"Y-Yuya?" Akiza turned to Seria, looking for an explanation.

"Tyler?" Seria asked.

I gently pulled my hands from Seria's as I moved from my chair and walked over to my Deck and grabbed my Duel Disk, slotting the former into the latter. "Okay, so… I still haven't completely figured out how this thing even works, but… um… if you want to give it a shot, I'm… I'm game." I smiled, fitting my hand into the Duel Disk.

Seria clasped her hands together. "I'll get my things!" she said with a smile, quickly heading into her room.

I turned to Akiza, who was still seated. "I understand if there are other things you n-need to be doing. You, uh, don't have to stay if you don't want to."

Akiza pulled her cell phone out of her pocket, looking down at the screen for a moment. "I have to be at work in a little bit, but…" she looked back up at me and smiled, "I'd like to stay, at least for a little bit longer. If… if you want me to stay, that is."

"Of course." I smiled back at her as Seria came back into the living room, Duel Disk attached to her arm.

"Alright!" Seria cheered. "Oh, first thing!" Seria walked over to the coffee table.

"Oh, yeah, right!" I moved over with her, helping her move the coffee table and then one of the couches back to give us some space to Duel. Akiza moved to another seat as she watched, silently observing Seria and me.

"You ready?" Seria asked, moving to one side of the room as she activated her Duel Disk.

I looked down at my Duel Disk for a moment, before looking back up at Seria and activating my Duel Disk, the blade of hard light materializing beside it. "Let's do it."

"Then may the best _me_ win!" Seria said cheerfully, causing me to laugh.

[Tyler: 4000 LP]  
[Seria: 4000 LP]

"Ladies first?" I offered, the two of us drawing our starting hands.

" _Thank_ you, kind sir." Seria teased, drawing an additional card.

"Um…" I spoke up.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, and I was about to remind her that she shouldn't have drawn on her first turn when I remembered that that was no longer the case. I was home.

I shook my head. "Yeah, no, y-you're right."

"O~key-dokey! I'll Set a Monster in Defense Position and Set two other cards face-down as well. Your move, Tyler."

"Okay…" I drew. "I… I activate the effect of Apprentice Illusion Magician from my hand: I can Special Summon her to the field if I discard a card to the Graveyard." I discarded Magician's Robe as the blonde-haired dark-skinned Spellcaster appeared in front of me, wand poised toward Seria [ATK: 2000].

" _Love_ those earrings." Seria said aloud, seemingly captivated by the pair of aqua crystal drops my Monster was wearing.

"Thanks," my Monster smiled, Seria almost doing a double take.

"W-wait, a-are you… are you _real_?" Seria asked, Apprentice Illusion Magician nodding as she lowered her wand.

"I don't understand…" Akiza muttered.

I looked down at my Duel Disk once more. "The setting must still be the same from before…" I thought aloud. "Apparently, this thing's got two settings: 'Real' and 'Duel Link', and for the tournament, it was defaulted to Real Solid Vision. In that tournament, and that Duel with Sergey, it was all real for everyone."

"What are you saying? That Duel Disk can make cards real, just like _me_ , just like Seria?" Akiza asked.

Apprentice Illusion Magician turned to face me. "What do you want me to do?"

"Um… would you mind holding back?" I asked my Monster. "They're not like Sergey, I… I care about them very much and I don't want them to get hurt."

"Understood." Apprentice Illusion Magician nodded.

"That goes for everyone." I said to my Deck. "I don't know if you can hear me, but let's not make a mess of ourselves, each other, them, or this place."

"Tyler…" Seria mumbled.

I straightened up, clearing my throat. "Now, when… wh-when Apprentice Illusion Magician is Summoned, I get to add a… Dark Magician from my Deck to my hand." I explained my actions as I performed them. "F-for my… Normal Summon, I go with… Chocolate Magician Girl." The red-eyed aqua-haired fair-skinned Spellcaster appeared on my field with the pop of a chocolate bubble [ATK: 1600].

"Oh, wow…" Seria's mouth dropped open a little, chocolate staining the floor.

"Sorry, I'll get that." Chocolate Magician Girl twirled her wand above her head, leaving the floor once again spotless.

"Thanks." I nodded, my mouth hanging open for a moment. "How are you doing after, um… what Sergey did to you?" I asked her softly, recalling how Sergey's Solemn Strike had disintegrated her in our Shadow Duel.

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine now. Thank you, but you don't need to worry." She smiled reassuringly.

"I know I probably don't _need_ to, but, after… after what happened with Fizdis, I can't _not_ worry, I… I'm… I'm d-d-done putting you all in harm's way…!" I told her.

"Tyler-"

"I'm serious." I said firmly, cutting Chocolate Magician Girl off. " _This_ is fine, but… no more world-ending threats or anything like that. Once was enough for you guys, and I could barely handle the other two, even the one I almost had a hand in causing…" I ran my fingers through my hair and took a step back, refocusing on Seria. "Now, I activate Chocolate Magician Girl's effect: by discarding a card from my hand to the Graveyard, I can draw a card from my Deck." I discarded Dark Magician to the Graveyard as Chocolate Magician Girl raised her wand above her head. "Next, I play the Spell Card Dark Magic Veil, allowing me to Special Summon Dark Magician from the Graveyard by paying one thousand Life Points."

[Tyler: 3000 LP]

Just as the black magic circle appeared on the ceiling above me and Seria, she giggled and flipped over a card.

"I almost forgot this was a Duel for a second." She said, her voice light and peppy. "I activate one of my face-downs! Magic Drain, negating the effect of your Spell Card… unless you feel like discarding a Spell Card from your hand instead."

"I don't have any other Spells in my hand." I told her, the black magical circle fizzling out. I sighed. "Alright, in… that case, I'll Set one more card and enter my Battle Phase. I attack with Apprentice Illusion Magician!"

"You got it!" Apprentice Illusion Magician chirped, the tip of her wand glowing as Seria flipped over another card.

"Sorry, but I'm activating my other face-down now, Dimensional Prison, banishing your Apprentice Illusion Magician from the field before she can carry out her attack."

Seria's card rose up, a purple veil shimmering between herself and me as Apprentice Illusion Magician vanished from sight.

I flinched involuntarily and I took a step back, almost instinctively expecting for the veil to grow in size and swallow me. It didn't, of course, but for some reason I thought it would.

I shook my head and groaned as the veil disappeared. "Okay, then I'll attack your Set Monster with Chocolate Magician Girl!"

Seria's Monster revealed itself [Warm Worm: DEF: 1400] and I exhaled, Chocolate Magician Girl splitting Seria's insect in half with a wave of light from her wand.

"When Warm Worm is destroyed, I get to send the top three cards of your Deck to the Graveyard." Seria explained.

I picked up the top three cards of my Deck – Magicians' Defense, Prohibition and Solemn Warning – and slid them into the Graveyard.

"Well then, I guess I end my turn."

"Alrighty!" Seria drew. "I'll Set another Monster in Defense Position, Set one more card, and then activate The Shallow Grave, letting us both Special Summon a Monster from our Graveyard's face-down! I'll bring back my Warm Worm."

"…I'll Special Summon Magician's Robe." I told her, Setting my Monster.

"I end my turn~" Seria continued to smile.

I drew. "I Normal Summon Magician's Rod." Dark Magician's staff hovered out in front of me as I placed the card down [ATK: 1600]. "When the Rod is Normal Summoned, I'm allowed to add a Spell or Trap to my hand from the Deck that lists 'Dark Magician' in its text. I'll add the Trap Card Eternal Soul." I quickly fished the card out of my Deck, my Duel Disk reshuffling my Deck as I continued. "Next, I'll Set one card face-down and enter my Battle Phase. I'll have Chocolate Magician Girl attack your center Monster, but b-b-b-before that, I'm activating Magician's Circle, letting us both Special Summon a Spellcaster from our Deck with two thousand or less Attack Points." I explained, going through my Deck once again, "I Special Summon Dark Magician Girl! And since there's a Dark Magician in the Graveyard, she's stronger too!" Dark Magician Girl appeared with a wink and a smile, turning and nodding at Chocolate Magician Girl [ATK: 2300]. "Now, Chocolate Magician Girl continues her attack!"

Chocolate Magician Girl twirled her wand as she once again tore through one of Seria's Monsters [Hiro's Shadow Scout: DEF: 500].

"The effect of Hiro's Shadow Scout activates! You get to draw three cards, and we both look at them, and if there are any Spell Cards among them, they go to the Graveyard." Seria explained. I drew Magician Navigation, Monster Reborn, and Palladium Oracle Mahad, cringing as I discarded Monster Reborn, unfortunately missing the timing to activate Palladium's effect.

"Magician's Rod attacks your Set Warm Worm." Once again, I said goodbye to another three cards in my Deck as my Magician's Rod impaled Seria's Monster. I didn't even look at the cards as I discarded them to the Graveyard. "Now, Dark Magician Girl attacks you directly!"

Dark Magician Girl raised her wand above her head with a smile, pink light charging at the tip, before throwing her arm out, a blast of light hurtling toward Seria.

"I activate my Trap Card, Begone, Knave!" Seria flipped her card up, and then changed her stance to mimic the image on the card. I couldn't help but chuckle. It was just so light, and she was just so _happy_. Despite me having a minor freak out with the veil and Chocolate Magician Girl and everything, I _was_ having fun. And to me, _that_ was how a Duel was supposed to be. _Fun_. No pressure. "Whenever a Monster inflicts Battle Damage, it gets returned to the owner's hand." Seria explained, taking Dark Magician Girl's Black Burning Attack with a smile.

[Seria: 1700 LP]

I recalled Dark Magician Girl. "Then I'll end my turn."

Seria drew. "I'll Set one Monster face-down and end my turn."

"At your End Phase, I'm activating my Trap, Eternal Soul. And I'll use its effect right now, Special Summoning Dark Magician from the Graveyard." A stone tablet rose up from the floor, a carving of a magician etched into it. It glistened for a moment, before breaking apart to reveal the black-armored blue-skinned Spellcaster [ATK: 2500]. "Now for my draw." I drew, Seria beaming at me all the while. "I activate Dark Magical Circle! When I activate this card, I'm allowed to look at the top three cards of my Deck, and if there's a Dark Magician or a card that l-lis-sts… _lists_ its name in its text, I can add it to my hand, then, I can set the order of the other cards and p-put them back on top of my Deck." The black magic seal spread out across the floor from my feet as I picked up the top three cards of my Deck. I smiled.

"Get anything good?" Seria asked.

"Oh yeah! I'll add Sage's Stone to my hand," I told her, placing Sorcerer of Dark Magic on top of my Deck. "Next, I'll Tribute Magician's Robe and Magician's Rod to Normal Summon Palladium Oracle Mahad." The protector adorned in gold appeared beside his other self [ATK: 2500]. "Next, I activate the effect of Chocolate Magician Girl, discarding Dark Magician Girl from my hand to draw a card."

Seria raised an eyebrow as I drew. "Wait, but why would you discard her if you added Sage's Stone to your hand?"

"'Cause I want the card I put underneath." I grinned. "I Tribute Dark Magician and Palladium Oracle Mahad to Special Summon the Sorcerer of Dark Magic!"

Both my Monsters disappeared between pillars of purple light, and when the light faded, a regal, and quite frankly even more badass-looking Magician had taken their place, bolts of blue electricity crackling around his form [ATK: 3200].

Seria's mouth dropped. " _Oh_ ,"

"Now I enter my Battle Phase, and attack your Set Monster with Chocolate Magician Girl, but just in case, I'll activate Eternal Soul's effect once more, letting me once again Special Summon Dark Magician from the Graveyard!" I called back the Dark Magician I'd just Tributed, the blue-skinned Spellcaster returning with his arms folded [ATK: 2500]. "Now, Dark Magical Circle's other effect activates: whenever Dark Magician is Summoned to my field, I can Banish a card on your field, so I'll target your Set Monster."

Dark Magician raised his staff into the air, the seal on the floor pulsing as Seria's Monster, Morphing Jar #2, was revealed before it vanished from sight.

"Yeah, okay, you can just… you can just go ahead and _do_ that, I guess…" Seria grumbled, but I could tell by her tone that she was just teasing.

"Sorry," I apologized, with a big stupid grin on my face. "A-a-a-anyway, now your field is empty, so I'll c-continue my attack with Chocolate Magician Girl!"

"Oh, you can do that too?" Seria asked as Chocolate Magician Girl's attack harmlessly passed through her.

[Seria: 100 LP]

"I think so?" I told her, my tone phrasing it like a question. "I'm sure my Duel Disk would l-let me know if I couldn't do something." I returned Chocolate Magician Girl to my hand per the effect of Seria's Trap, but it didn't really matter. I'd won anyway. "Now, I attack with Sorcerer of Dark Magic! Celestial Dark Blast!"

The awesome Spellcaster raised his scepter above his head before pointing it forward as an orange wave burst from the crystal ball at its tip, sweeping across the room but thankfully leaving everything and everyone unharmed.

[Seria: 0 LP]

Seria giggled. "Oh well! Sometimes, things don't go as you think they will. But in any case, that was fun. Good game, Tyler."

I once again felt myself smiling like an idiot. "Good game, Seria."

It _was_ a good game. I didn't mind playing her, I didn't mind winning or losing, but having had the fate of the world – or my chance to get home – resting on the outcome of a Duel for so long, it didn't make it fun. This was much better, and I'd forgotten just how much fun Dueling, or really _anything_ could be, with friends by my side. Friends like Seria and Akiza, that I was so grateful to have.

"Really, I didn't know _what_ to expect! You picked up some awesome cards while you were away." Seria deactivated her Duel Disk as she walked over to me.

"You can thank the other Tyler for that." I told her, looking down at my Deck. "And you g-guys as well, th-thank you." I smiled, the physical presence of my Monsters vanishing as I removed their cards from my Duel Disk.

"And see? You made it through in one piece. No danger or anything." Seria beamed at me, playfully flicking the bottom of my face. "Come on, chin up!" she continued to smile.

My smiled widened, and I reached up and around, pulling her into a hug. "Thanks, Seria…" I whispered, flinching just a little as she hugged me back. I moved my hands to her arms and pulled away, turning to Akiza. "Akiza, listen, I…" I started to talk, but I really didn't know where to begin. I exhaled. "W-w-with how my speech is now, and having already explained everything to Seria, I d-didn't want to… g-go over it again and waste your time, because it took literally me all night with Seria, but… y-you deserve an explanation-"

"Tyler, it's okay." Seria assured me as I felt her place her hands on my shoulders. "I'll explain everything to you later, Akiza, I promise."

"That's alright. I should be getting to work anyway." She said, getting up from her seat.

"That's right. You said you're… you're working now. Where are you working?" I asked, though it probably wasn't even my place to ask.

Akiza averted my eyes for a moment, glancing at Seria before looking back to me. "Down at the Rehabilitation Center in the Satellite."

"S-Satellite?" I shivered.

That was the place, the exact place that I'd ended it. The former B.A.D. Area, where I'd spent my adolescence, where I'd looked after Annie, Itsuki and the rest of those kids with Crow. Where I fought alongside him and the rest of Team Satisfaction to make Satellite a better place to live. The place that changed more in the six months after the defeat of the Dark Signers than it ever did in all the years that I'd lived there fighting for it.

It must have seemed so out of the blue to them, because when I turned to Akiza and asked, "Can I come with you?", Akiza looked completely taken aback.

"I-I, um…"

"I don't think that's a good idea." Seria interjected, popping her head to my side. "At least until you've spoken with Miss Simington."

"Right, but I just…" I sighed, turning to look at Seria. "The Satellite was my home for almost half my life, and I… I went back there to end it… I know it sounds weird, but that Rehabilitation Center, th-that block of land, I mean… that's where I used to live. Me and Crow used to look after the kids there. That's… I know it's changed since then, but… I'd like to see that place again w-w-w-without all the… the negative mindset I had. The… b-building that's there now… stands as a… a t-t-testament to the fact that… things can change… things can get fixed, get better."

"Tyler…" Seria muttered.

"I know you p-p-p-probably think it's stupid-"

"I don't think it's stupid, I just think right now it's probably not the best thing for you. And I don't think it's fair to Akiza to make her…" Seria paused hesitantly, "have to keep an eye on you."

I frowned. "Keep an eye on me? You left me here alone-"

"Well that was different. Leaving you here in the apartment by yourself is nothing like you going back to the place you _killed_ _yourself_." Seria turned and cupped my head in her hands. "Look, Tyler, it's not that I don't trust you, but I think all of us here know how emotions can make us do things in the spur of the moment that we'd never do with a clear head. And I would be happy to come with you so that Akiza wouldn't have to worry, but I'm… I'm expecting a call from someone, and if they call the landline, I need to be here."

I put my hands to Seria's. "Seria, I… I p-promise, I won't cause a scene or do anything stupid." I then turned to Akiza. "And I promise I won't… stop you from doing what you need to do at work either." I looked back at Seria. "You can wait to hear back from Yusei. I'll be fine."

Seria fidgeted. "Y-you heard me…?"

"I mean, I assumed that's who you were calling. Doctor Fudo?"

"Why were you calling Yusei?" Akiza asked.

"I w-w-w-was p-planning on seeing him too. Y-you don't-"

"It wasn't about you seeing him." Seria cut me off. "Well, it _was_ , but not…" Seria sighed, "the circumstances, I mean… how you disappeared, came back, and where you were all this time. I thought maybe he'd be able to help, since he developed Fortune." She explained. "I thought there might be a way to get into contact with Tim or somebody."

I pushed through the word "Tim," with a big breath of air, "probably doesn't even know I made it back here. He's n-n-n-n-not gonna come looking for me. He's got other things to worry about. As do I."

Akiza looked between Seria and me as Seria sighed once more. "I'm sorry. I know it's not really my business. If you're happy leaving things as they are, I am too." Seria smiled. "Anyway, I shouldn't keep you any longer. You two should get going."

I turned to Akiza. "Is that alright with you, Akiza?"

Akiza's eyes met mine, but even as she said "Sure," I could tell her mind was elsewhere.

"If at any time you feel overwhelmed or anything, call me, okay? And I'll come and get you." Seria assured me.

I nodded. "Of course."

"Is that a promise?"

I smiled. "It's a promise."

* * *

It felt surreal coming back to the Satellite again. Though it hadn't really been that long since I was there last, the atmosphere was completely different to that of the Commons in _Neo_ Domino City. It was hard to believe I hadn't noticed it at the time when I first 'arrived back' with Tim, but now it was all the more obvious. Daedalus Bridge or no, the drones and the fact that the B.A.D. Area still looked, well, _bad_ , should have been the tipoff that something was amiss. I was glad to be back home, even though the Satellite of now was barely recognizable as the Satellite as I remembered it.

We pulled up across the street from the Rehabilitation Center, Akiza putting her Duel Runner into park. Akiza removed her helmet as she looked at herself in the front display, putting her headband back on. I removed my helmet and placed it in my lap as Akiza pressed a button, the wings of her Duel Runner shifting out and up.

Akiza got off of her Duel Runner, glancing back at me and gasping, acknowledging my presence for the first time since we'd left Seria's apartment, as though she'd forgotten I was with her. Neither of us had said anything on the ride over. I did _want_ to say something, of course, but it was the whole issue of not knowing what to say, saying too much, saying too little, the wrong thing, and that wasn't even taking into account my stutter, which made the prospect of just saying single words and _my own_ _name_ to people, an uphill battle.

I quickly got off Akiza's Duel Runner as I set my helmet down, fiddling with my hair as Akiza made sure her Duel Runner was properly parked and secure.

I licked my lips, forcing myself to speak as Akiza turned to face the entrance to the Rehabilitation Center. "Th-th-th-thanks for letting me come with you." I told her.

"Of course, Tyler! I… sorry if I'm a little… if I seem a little unsure, it's just… honestly, it's because I'm still trying to wrap my head around you being back." She said, looking away for a moment. "It just… it doesn't feel real yet…" she muttered, the two of us making our way toward the Rehabilitation Center.

"I get it. Y-y-you go to someone's funeral, b-body or no, and you expect them not to be around again." I sighed. "In some ways, it probably _would_ have been better if I had have just stuck with T-T-T-T-T-Tim and helped fight in the Dimensional War, but that was outside of my control. I… I did want to come back here… home, I… I had to, I… I got… I got to see you again, after all…"

"Dimensional War?" Akiza asked.

"It's nothing. I'm sure Tim can handle it." I quickly dismissed myself. It wasn't something that Akiza or anyone else needed to concern themselves with. "No, no, I'm _definitely_ sure Tim's got it covered." I cleared my throat, changing the subject. "So, wh-wh-wh-wh-when did you get a job at the Rehabilitation Center?"

"Not too long ago."

I nodded. "Wh-wh- _why_ did you get a job there… here?" I asked, and when I realized that me trying to force myself through the speech block of saying 'why' might have made my question sound almost accusatory, I added "S-sorry, I don't mean to sound so, um…" I shook my head. "I-I-I-I'm genuinely interested, I mean."

Akiza turned away from me, looking up at the roof of the building as we stood right outside its doors. "Well, two things… _people_ , actually. The first was… Misty."

"Misty?" I asked softly.

Akiza kept her eyes on the building. "After everything that happened with her involving her brother, I mean… I might not have killed Misty's brother, but… there were others, there _had_ to be. I did so much in the time I was the Black Rose Witch, there had to have been at least one person I hurt, or worse. I'm really lucky that I never really had to deal with the fallout for that, thanks to my dad, but Toby only got involved with the Arcadia Movement in the first place because of me, so even if Sayer was the one who killed him, he died because of me. So, I spoke to the people at the Rehabilitation Center about starting a Youth Outreach program to help others struggling to find their place in the world and give them some stability, like what the Arcadia Movement _should_ have been in the first place – a haven not just for Psychics, but _anyone_ in need of help, and they wouldn't be misguided or mistreated like we were."

"Wow, Akiza… th-that's _amazing_ …!"

"The other person," Akiza breathed, "was… you…"

"M- _me_?"

Akiza nodded, still keeping her eyes on the building. "After you… after we _thought_ you died, I blamed myself. That state you were in on the Ark Cradle, how you tried to throw yourself off the platform, that was so obviously a cry for help, and when Zone killed you and brought you back," Akiza shook her head, "there was a lot going on, and I'd just gotten Yusei back, but I should have taken the time to help you. I should have just said something, _anything_ , but I didn't. I meant to contact you after what happened on the Ark Cradle, but I was busy with school and Yusei. Nevertheless, I should have made time. You're a friend, and I turned my back on you. Because of you and Yusei and everyone, I learned to love myself. Thinking back, you were my first real friend, and I ended up turning my back on you when you needed me the most. I didn't want that to happen to anyone else, especially the kids I work with. I wanted to make sure that… no one else ended up like you did, thinking there was no way out."

"Akiza…" I whimpered.

Akiza turned to me, her brown eyes filling with tears. "Tyler, I… I want you to know… I love you. Not in a… in a romantic way, but… from one person to another, I love you, and I'm _so_ glad you're back~" Akiza's voice broke.

She hugged me again, and I wrapped my arms around her. "I love you too, A-Akiza. Thank you… thank you s-so much for… for just being so accepting and everything, I…" I felt tears start to well in my eyes, "I was so worried. I thought you hated me… I wouldn't have blamed you if you did."

"I never hated you, Tyler. _Ever_." Akiza stated, hugging me tighter. "I just… I wish I'd known you were _alive_ … I… I…"

I buried my head in the nape of her neck. "Akiza, I-I-I-I-I'm really sorry about everything, th-the Ark Cradle especially."

" _Stop_!" Akiza moved her head from mine. "If _you_ keep going on about what you did on the Ark Cradle, _I'll_ go on about what _I_ almost did to you at the hospital. I think we've moved past all that, haven't we?" she asked. I nodded feverishly. "You're back now, and I understand if it's hard or you don't want to talk about what happened. I know better than anyone what that's like, but I know it helped you before. It helped me too." Akiza looked down. "Luna told me that you'd planned to go back to therapy before you… disappeared. W-would you… have you thought about going back to see Dr. Wertz?"

My eyes widened. Akiza, of course, knew by now that I'd been seeing a psychiatrist back then, but I'd never mentioned, to her or to anyone, specifically who it was I'd been seeing. "H-how did you…?"

Akiza's face broke a warm, reassuring and nonjudgmental smile. "I went there once. After the whole thing with the Dark Signers and Misty. I saw you waiting for an appointment. I didn't say anything to you then. You looked so deep in thought."

"I didn't know you'd gone to see a psychiatrist…"

"Are you _kidding_?" Akiza suddenly took my hands into her own and I flinched, trying to fight back the panic that Kobi and Joel had instilled in me. "Tyler, the Black Rose Witch wasn't just a name that people called me. She was… she was like a split personality, this other side of me that… that fought and lashed out because I was afraid and angry at the world. Yusei helped me to break through and realize who she was, but that didn't stop her from being there. I went and saw so many different people. Psychiatrists, grief counsellors, hypnotherapists, and it took me a while to find someone who could help. But eventually, I met this great hypnotherapist, and we just clicked, and thanks to her, and my parents, and Yusei… and _you_ , _us_ , _this_ … I was able to start putting everything that happened behind me. I know _I_ didn't kill Toby, but that doesn't mean I couldn't have killed other people during my time as the Black Rose Witch. I had to face up to that, the person I was and the persona I'd created."

"A-Akiza…" my eyes moved from Akiza's. I was absolutely taken aback by… all of it. The lengths that Akiza went through to better herself through her own rehabilitation and self-care. I was so focused on my pissy little attempt back then, that I hadn't even realized what enormous strides she'd made in those six months. And then again, now, she'd moved from that to bettering the people around her. "You're _perfect_ …" I muttered.

Akiza shook her head. "I'm not, and that's the point. We _all_ have demons we need to face. When you said to Seria that you wanted to come here as a way of facing up to _your_ demons, I just… I thought back to how you were then." Akiza shook her head once more. "What I'm trying to say is, everyone needs a little help sometimes."

I gently squeezed Akiza's hands with mine. "I'll do whatever it takes, Akiza. And I have every intention of going back to therapy. But last time I went and did that, I didn't talk to you guys for half a year, and I don't… I don't want to do that again, so… my main concern is sorting things out with everyone else first."

Akiza smiled warmly, wiping away her tears. "Well we all love you to _bits_ , so you won't have to worry about that." Akiza leaned forward and gave me another hug. "Anyway, I really need to get inside." She told me, running her fingers across my shoulders as she turned, walking briskly as I followed her inside, the doors opening to welcome us.

The inside of the Rehabilitation Center was as pristine as the outside. The spaces were shiny, reflective, and open. Akiza walked over to her colleague at reception and started talking to them while I stood back, just taking it all in. There were plenty of people around, not that that was necessarily a good or bad thing in and of itself. It was just an observation, and it meant that people were getting treatment, and everyone _seemed_ happy at the very least.

In general, the whole place just had a really positive atmosphere, which was a welcome change from not only the Satellite of old, but the Commons as well.

I wondered to myself, if my counterpart had had access to a facility like this, if he had the opportunity for support, would he have reached out and grabbed it? Or would he have ignored it like I did? Granted, I had been living in the Daimon Area for a good while by the time the center had finished being built, and I had already started seeing my psychiatrist, so back then I didn't really think there was any point in me commuting back and forth to the Satellite for rehabilitation, but if I'd had had it back then, before Team Satisfaction, before the Arcadia Movement, then… maybe.

I pursed my lips together. There was no sense in thinking like that now, for me, but I did feel for my counterpart, and having this place here, at the very least, I'm sure was a comfort and a relief to those that needed support.

Akiza was right. Everyone needs a little help sometimes.

"Guess who~o~o…" a voice whispered in my ear as a pair of hands gently came down over my eyes. I would have freaked out if I didn't recognize her voice almost immediately. "That's a real nice vest ya got on…"

"No way…" I muttered, feeling her hands move away from mine as I turned around to face her.

She had the same long unkempt black hair and wore the same pale pink tank top, Team Satisfaction vest and denim shorts she used to wear back then.

"Never thought I'd catch ol' ' _Merciful_ ' down here again." She smiled that same smile that was somehow both dripping with overconfidence and endearingly cute at the same time.

"I'm not _that_ anymore." I told her. There was _no way_ I could be called that anymore, but my tone with her could have been better, especially since it had been about three years since we'd last spoken. I forced a smile to my face. It _really_ was great to see her, just unexpected. Honestly, I'd kind of forgotten about her. Amnesia aside, if I hadn't have met up with Kalin again when he was a Dark Signer, I probably would have forgotten about _him_ too. I sighed and shook my head. "S-s-sorry, I've just had a… my head's not with it at the moment…"

"Was it _ever_ really though?" she teased.

"No, not really." I agreed, a smile slowly forming on my face. "How've you been?" I asked.

"Oh, ya know," she shrugged, "stayin' outta trouble, takin' it a day at a time. The usual. But what about you? Whatchu been up to? 'Cause I heard you went missin' or somethin'. Not like _before_ with that cult. I mean recently."

"Ah," I took a step back. I'd wrongly assumed she hadn't heard anything, but she must have spoken to either Yusei, or Jack before he left New Domino City. I sort of wasn't worried because I thought she didn't know, so there wasn't as much pressure talking to her as there was compared to me talking to Seria or Akiza, but, well she _did_ know, she knew something, at least. So, it was another person I felt lesser to, like I owed for screwing up. "How m-m-m-m-m…" I sighed, closing my eyes. 'How much have you heard?' is what I wanted to ask! "Sorry, I've got a… speech impediment now…" I verbalized like it wasn't obvious.

"Oof, that's rough! Stroke?" she asked.

"N-no, I… well, it's a long story." I told her. "How m-m-much have you heard, who did you hear it from, and when d-d-d-d-d-did you hear it?"

"Well, I mean, Yusei came by, like, a year or so ago to catch up with Rally and ev'ryone, an' he filled us in on what's been going on with you guys. Then just the other week I got a message from 'im sayin' he wan'ed to meet up an' tell me somethin' aboutcha in person. I just got back from a trip to Crash Town, so, you know…"

I exhaled. I'll admit it. For a moment, just _one_ moment, I thought about asking her not to tell either Yusei or Jack that she'd seen me, maybe even asking her to ghost Yusei for a little while until I was able to get my act together. But, dragging her into the problem I'd made for myself, and remembering what Akiza had said, about facing up to my demons, I knew it wasn't right, and I came clean.

"I… I…" I stammered, screwing my eyes shut. "God _damn_ it! Y-Yusei, what Yusei probably wanted to tell you was I… I _died_." I told her. "About a month ago."

" _What_?"

"My stutter is from brain damage. Bungled suicide attempt." I opened my eyes. "W-w-w-well, _successful_ suicide and forced _resurrection_ to be specific. Yusei was p-probably trying to get into c-contact with you to let you know what had happened. He doesn't know that I'm alive or b-b-back or anything, um… but apparently, they held a service for me a little while ago, so that's… yeah, that's probably it."

"Wait, are you _serious_?" she asked. I nodded. "You… _died_?!" she looked at me with furrowed brows, crossing her arms. "So… what? Are you like _Kalin_ then? 'Cause Yusei told me about how he came back as something called a 'Dark Signer'-"

"N-no, I'm… I'm not like that. Just… just brain damaged…" I muttered. Then, to try and lessen some of the tension, I added "Though to be fair, I think Kalin must have been a little brain damaged for breaking things off the way he did."

Her face broke a smile and she laughed. "Yeah…"

"Everything okay over here?" Akiza asked from behind me.

I quickly turned to face her. "Oh, Akiza, sorry, hi, this is Zenaida." I introduced.

"Call me Zena." She smiled. "I'm an ol' teammate o' Tyler's from back in the day."

"T-Team Satisfaction." I explained, and I probably should have stopped there, but I elaborated. "She was Kalin's girlfr…" I trailed, foot-in-mouth, "um… ex… sorry…"

"It's not _your_ fault he went nuts." Zena brushed my faux pas aside with little offense.

"Well, technically," I started to argue with her, but as I thought more about it, I realized it was probably one of the few things I _wasn't_ responsible for. I might not have told Kalin or Zena or anyone from back then what I'd gone through, Hell, Yusei and Jack only found out about all that on the Ark Cradle seven months ago. But if any of them had known, I don't think that would have changed any of their attitudes at all. And in any case, what Kalin almost did to that kid Kadoi was inexcusable, and I think that my reaction to that was completely justified. "No, yeah, you're right." I said bluntly. "I'm just sorry things ended how they did. You…" I closed my eyes, feeling a block in my throat. "Y-you were really good to him."

"I thought so too." Zena shrugged. "Anyway, how do _you_ know Tyler?" she asked Akiza.

"Um…" Akiza paused for a moment. "Arcadia Movement."

It took a little while for it to click, but when it clicked, it _clicked_ , and Zena was obviously privy to much more information than I thought she was. "Oh, _oh_ , right! You were, um, you were the… the Black Rose Witch, right? Oh, _shit_ , you're Yusei's _girlfriend_ , right?!"

"Y-yeah, that's right…" Akiza muttered.

Zena cupped her own head in her hands. "Yeah, yeah, _yeah_! 'Cause Yusei was… he was tellin' me last time that he met up with Jack and Tyler and Crow and Kalin and that there was this girl, um… little rough around the edges, but 'a good heart' he said. Oh man, this is fillin' in _so_ many gaps for me!"

"Yusei's told you about me?" Akiza asked softly. "He's… he's, um… he's never mentioned _you_ to me before." She admitted.

"What, really? Like, _never_? Never _ever_?!" Zena asked, Akiza shaking her head. "Oh, well," Zena turned to me, " _Tyler_ , _you_ -"

"I had amnesia until, like, partway through last year." I interjected.

Zena's eyes widened. "Wait, what?! When was this?"

"Um… that was the whole Arcadia Movement thing. You know, abducted by 'that cult'?" I said flippantly.

"Oh… Yusei never mentioned that."

" _Really_?"

"No, he said you got abducted, but then you broke out, and he was really glad that you were okay."

Yusei.

He never cared that I had amnesia, he was just happy that I was alive and back in his life.

Back in his life.

I _would_ have been back in his life if I hadn't have been so caught up in all of my own bullshit. That's not to say that I was _entirely_ at fault, of course. Back when Bruno first came onto the scene, Yusei was so intently focused on him, that it did damage some of his relationships, at least in the short-term. And as I'd told Akiza before, when it came to me and Bruno and all of that, I _never_ thought of myself as a part of Team 5D's. And that wasn't a vindictive power play sort of thing from my perspective. It was just how I felt. Me, and then everyone else.

I was never told; I was never welcomed. I just _was_.

"I'm sorry, I really have to get back." Akiza said, making me turn to her. "I just came over to see if you were okay."

"No, yeah, I'm good." I told her. "You go do what you need to do. I'll… h-h-hang out with Zena for a bit." I turned to Zena. "I-i-i-if that's okay with you."

"O' _course_! We've got a lot o' catchin' up to do." She said with a wink and a smile.

"Okay, well, if you need me, come to the front desk and ask for me, okay?" Akiza's hand grazed my shoulder. "I'll be done with my shift in a few hours."

"Okay…" I spoke softly, Zena and I watching as Akiza walked away.

* * *

Warm red light bled across the corridor, both mine and Akiza's shadows twisting as we walked.

I ended up spending most of the afternoon chatting with Zena while Akiza worked her shift. Okay, _I_ spent most of _my_ time stuttering and stammering. _Zena_ was the one who was able to actually _speak_ and, you know, be an _actual coherent human being_.

Other than that, the only other little bit of time I had, I spent watching Akiza. Not in a creepy way. I _literally_ got to see how she interacted with people and how people interacted with her. She was so happy and joyful, as was everyone that she interacted with. I could have never imagined the old Akiza doing what she did. It was yet another reminder of just how far she'd come. And how I hadn't realized until now.

"Th-thanks for taking me home, Akiza." I told her, the two of us coming to a stop outside Seria's apartment, Akiza's left hand intertwined with my right. "I know today's probably been a little… weird, but, um… n-n-n-n-not spending," I sighed, "spend- _spending_ the time with you, but like, um…" I pinched the bridge of my nose. Neither my brain nor my mouth knew what I was trying to say. "Sorry, I'm just…"

"That's alright." Akiza assured me, gently squeezing my hand for a moment before she turned away. "Tyler… I know I said we should move on from what happened before, but you need to know… if _any_ of us knew what Joel and his dad did to you, there's no way we would have… would have even _associated_ ourselves with him."

"I know." I squeezed her hand back. "It's okay-"

"No, it's _not_ okay!" Akiza insisted.

"Well it could have been worse." I said simply, letting go of Akiza's hand. "But it doesn't matter anyway. What happened _happened_ , and what's done is done. I… I m-m-made the wrong choices, I r-reacted poorly, and I have to live with the choices I made. And every time I see someone, I'm gonna have to explain what happened." I sighed. "S-Seria, you, Zena, and now Mina. Sh-she's probably already inside. Either that or she's on her way here."

"Tyler," Akiza grabbed my hand again, "I think telling Mina's the right thing to do, and Yusei, Luna and everyone else, they deserve to know too… but if you're not ready to let them know you're back yet, then I won't tell anyone."

"No, I…" I sighed once more. "You were right that… it's not fair that I show up out of the blue, unannounced with no warning. It's not right that they don't know. Like Seria said, I'll square things away with Mina first, make sure it's all above board and everything. Tell her whatever she wants to know. A-and… I w- _will_ tell Luna, a-and Yusei, I _promise_ , but… I put a lot of pressure on Luna before, back when I almost…" I trailed off, shaking my head. "I can't do that to you, so if you want to t-tell Yusei or Luna that I'm back before I do, y-you can."

"It's not for me to tell them. As much as I don't like keeping secrets, it's not my secret to tell, and I understand why you feel like you might need to wait and think things through. But… I told you before, we all love you, so… you don't have to worry." Akiza sighed. "And I know you said before that you never felt like a part of Team 5D's, but trust me, you were _always_ a part of the team. Yusei even…" Akiza stopped and shook her head. " _That's_ not _my_ secret to tell either. I'm sure Yusei will tell you when you see him."

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"Nothing. You'd… you'd better get inside." Akiza sighed once more. "Just… tell me one thing… in that letter you left me, did you mean what you said?"

I nodded. "All of it."

Akiza released my hand before gently pressing her body against mine, easing me into a hug. "I'll call you tomorrow. Good luck in there…" She whispered, her breath tickling my ear before she pulled away.

"Thanks." I smiled. Akiza made a sound that I couldn't discern, before she closed her eyes and turned away. I watched Akiza head back down the corridor, rounding the corner as she left my sight. I straightened myself up and took a deep breath, before letting myself into the apartment.

Seria, who looked to have been sitting on the couch in the living room, shot up from it immediately as the door opened and I removed my shoes. She beamed at me, infecting me with her boundless positivity. " _Tyler_ ~! Did you have a good afternoon?" she asked.

"Y-yeah," I breathed. "All things considered; it went great. I actually ran into an old friend." I told her.

" _Luna_?" Seria asked, her tone making her sound like she was incredibly hopeful for that to be the case.

"No, um… i-it was s-someone from my Team Satisfaction days. N-not Yusei or Jack, o-of course, someone else. That r-reminds me, d-d-d-did Y-Yusei end up calling you back?"

Seria shook her head. "No, not yet. But Miss Simington's here."

"Sh-she is?"

"Mhm." Seria nodded. "She just arrived a few minutes ago. She's waiting for you in your room." She explained, closing the space between us and placing her hands gently on my shoulders. "Unfortunately, it's standard protocol for these sorts of interviews to be private, so I'm not allowed to listen in or, you know, help if you get stuck on a word or anything like that." Seria quickly licked her lips. "So, I'll be out here cooking dinner. Crumbed chicken okay?" she asked, tilting her head as she tapped my chin.

I placed my hands on hers. "Seria, I appreciate _anything_ and _everything_ you do for me. I'm happy with anything."

" _Alrighty_!" Seria ruffled my hair for a moment before she stopped and looked into my eyes, furrowing her brows. "Oh, don't be _nervous_ , Tyler! You'll be _fine_! I _know_ you will!" Seria assured me with a warm smile and a hug.

"Is it that obvious I'm freaking out?" I thought I'd done a decent job hiding my anxiety from Seria, but that clearly wasn't the case.

"You don't need to freak out!" Seria assured me. "I'm no expert on speech impediments, but just take some deep breaths and think about what you're going to say, and everything'll be fine. Miss Simington is _super nice_ , and I'm going to be just out here, so there's no pressure, okay?"

"Yeah…" I agreed. No pressure. "Yeah, okay."

"Okay…" Seria said breathily, giving me another quick hug before I headed into the hallway.

There was _so_ pressure. There was _all_ the pressure!

Truthfully, I didn't think I was even fit to be interviewed, and even though I hated talking, _hated_ it more than anything else, I had to sort it out, the mess I'd made for myself.

I'd been missing before, technically. When I ran away from my home in New Domino City and fled to the Satellite, and then again when I was abducted by the Arcadia Movement, but I was positive that I hadn't been officially listed as a missing person back then. Kobi wouldn't have allowed it and Dibana wouldn't have cared, and since I'd never gotten a Criminal Mark in the Satellite, Sector Security wouldn't have been able to track me when Sayer abducted me.

The interview was, if absolutely nothing else, a chance for me to come clean about everything to the authorities, and give them a crystal clear account about not just where I'd been for the last month, but everything with Kobi and Joel as well. I remembered that text message from Taze about how Kobi had been arrested and taken to The Facility back when I'd escaped from the Arcadia Movement, and Mina had supposedly helped Seria discover that Joel had stolen the money I'd left for her, so there was already plenty of evidence that neither Kobi or Joel were good people without me really needing to say anything on the subject.

I knocked on the door to the guest room before I opened it, Mina sitting on the edge of the bed with a tablet resting on her thighs, artificial light spilling out into the hallway.

"H-hi, Mina…" I bowed.

"Tyler," Mina quickly got to her feet, hugging the tablet to her chest. "It's good to see you again." She told me, bowing in kind.

I fidgeted, stepping inside as I closed the door behind me.

"I appreciate you coming down to see me. I know it's, um, it's Friday today, isn't it?" I shook my head. I still couldn't believe it. I started the week in another Dimension, waking up from a nightmare with Fizdis consoling me, before battling in the first round of the Friendship Tag Cup with Tim. And now I was home. "And, just for coming down in the first place, I… I appreciate it."

"It's no trouble, Tyler. When Miss Dale came to me and told me, well… I wanted to come and talk to you. Normally, this sort of thing would be considered a conflict of interest, but given everything that's gone on, I thought it best that I handle the interview procedure myself." Mina explained.

"Of course. I ap…preciate that. Thank you for b-b-b… be…" I closed my eyes and sighed, " _being_ … so ac… accommodating…"

"Like I said, it's no trouble." Mina smiled. "Miss Dale told me before that you were concerned that you might be charged, and I want to assure you that that won't be happening."

" _Really_?" I exhaled. "Oh, thank you, _thank you_!" I was so happy I could have _kissed_ her! "That _really_ _is_ a load off my mind."

"It isn't a crime to be a missing person, Tyler." Mina offered a reassuring smile. "And as for the contents of the USB, we're combing through it, but you're not going to be held accountable for anything found on there either." Mina hesitated for a moment, like she could sense the last of my apprehension. "Now, as for your, um… stutter, just take your time. We can begin whenever you're ready, and we'll take as long as you need." Mina slinked back down into a seated position on the bed, placing the tablet next to her.

"I'm-I'm ready." I told her.

I sat down beside Mina, the tablet between the two of us.

"Then let's begin." Mina said, tapping on the tablet as it started recording. "Where have you been?" she asked.

I pushed a breath of air out, smiling unintentionally. "Wh-where do I start?"


	17. White Flag

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CTRL+V from FFN:
> 
> I again must apologize on the wait for this chapter. At the outset, this chapter was meant to be the most important chapter in "Arc of Eternity", if not the whole "Tyler Nochi" series. The end result is not quite what I envisioned – there was originally a lot more to it, but I had to cut it down because it just seemed to keep going in circles with no real resolution. I ended up cutting about five thousand words, in addition to a Duel that just didn't feel right. That said, I really hope you all enjoy it.
> 
> I'd also like to thank everybody that left a Review since the last chapter. I very much appreciate the feedback, and I'm glad you all enjoy the story. I've put responses to the Guest Reviews from last time at the end of this chapter. If you have any more feedback, please let me know by sending me a PM or leaving a Review.
> 
> Lastly, I love and appreciate each and every one of you, and I hope you're all staying safe in these difficult times.
> 
> I hope you enjoy the chapter!

"Thank you for your time tonight, Tyler. We appreciate it." Mina spoke succinctly as she shook my hand.

"Th-th-th-thank you for putting up with me, Mina."

"It was no trouble, really." She smiled a pity smile. And I could tell that that was exactly what it was. I'd recounted to her almost everything. My early childhood, the death of my father Daisuke, Kobi and Joel, the abuse, escaping to the Satellite, Team Satisfaction, and then probably what was most important: the Ark Cradle and the last seven months of my life. There were, of course, certain bits and pieces I brushed passed – I didn't need to go over what happened with the Dark Signers, as she was, of course, there for all of my involvement, but there were other points when Mina hurried me along. I perhaps might have gone a little too in-depth about the physical abuse I'd suffered, for example, but I was honest, which was more than I could say for quite a few people I knew.

Of course, recounting everything to Mina was mentally and emotionally draining to say the least. I was definitely glad for it to be over, but by the end of it, I couldn't not notice that she was looking at me differently. Like she saw me as less human.

"W-well, in any case, it-it means a lot."

"I hope you don't mind if I inform Jack, um, Mr. Atlas, that you've returned?"

I shrugged. "Honestly, you can tell him whatever you like. I d-d-d-doubt he'll care either way."

"Don't say that."

"No, it's true. Jack and I are fundamentally two entirely different people now than we were back in Team Satisfaction. Back then, if either of us were as we are now, I don't think we w-would have become friends. We're just incompatible now, and that's okay. People don't stay friends forever." It was hard to admit, but it was the truth.

"Well, you might think that, but I'm sure he'll be glad to know you're okay."

"It's up to you." I shrugged once more.

"Alright, well, as I said, it was good to hear from you. I'll be in touch with you about the USB, but aside from that, you're free to go about your business. Have a good night, okay?"

"You t-t-t-too." I hesitated. "And th-thanks again, M-M-M-Mina…"

Mina bowed, moving away from the front door as I opened it, Mina bending down and slipping her high heels on.

"Thanks for coming!" Seria called from the kitchen.

"Take care, Miss Dale!" Mina called back, bowing once more before she turned and left, her heels clicking as she walked, tablet in hand, out of sight.

I closed the door and exhaled, shutting my eyes as I steadied myself.

"O~ _ka~ay_! Dinner's ready!" Seria told me, honey in her voice.

I licked my lips and turned away from the door, moving closer to her. I watched her place a cutlet of chicken onto a plate next to rice and shredded cabbage. "Actually, um…"

"What is it?" Seria asked softly.

I felt really bad. Like shit, actually. She'd gone to all this trouble cooking dinner, but I just wasn't hungry anymore. "I-I-I'm…" I stammered. "I'm really tired. I… think I might head to b-b-b-b-b-b-bed, if that's okay."

"Oh…" Seria was taken aback for only a second. "Did it not go well with Miss Simington?"

"N-no, it… it went fine. Better than it probably… probably… probably…" I sighed. There was a block. I couldn't get past the _fucking word_! " _probably_ should have gone. Sorry…" I apologized.

"Okay, well, did you have anything to eat while you were out with Akiza today?" Seria asked.

"N-no, I didn't…"

"Then you need to eat something now. Come on. Sit." She ordered.

"Seria, please, I'm really tired, and just… having to explain everything to Mina brought it all up again for me. I just… I'd like to go to bed."

"I'm not saying we have to have a conversation while we eat; I'm just saying you need to eat _something_. You can't go to bed with only having eaten breakfast. Now come on. Sit down." She repeated.

"Okay." I caved. It was easier just accepting it than possibly getting into an argument with her, and I knew Seria was just trying to look out for me. _Everyone_ so far was trying to look out for me. Ever since I got back. Ancient Fairy Dragon, Seria, Akiza, Zena, Mina. I didn't deserve it.

I went and sat down at the kitchen table. I should have offered to take the plates over, but of course I wasn't really thinking. My mind was just completely elsewhere. It was only when Seria put a plate down in front of me and I got a little fright that I realized what I should have done.

It must have been quite a visual reaction too, because Seria reacted in turn almost immediately.

"Hey, it's alright…" she cooed. "It's okay…" she whispered.

"Sorry…" I apologized once more. "I-I-I've just been thinking about all of… well, _everything_ , really. I know… I know it's good to talk about things, and not everyone does that, but… it's hard."

"I know. Especially now with your… _condition_. But I don't care about that." Seria cleared her throat as she placed a plate down at her side of the table. "What I mean is, that doesn't matter to me. You're still you. And for what it's worth, I'm _really_ proud of you."

"Thanks, Seria." I smiled, watching as Seria took her seat. I looked down at my meal, cut some chicken up, shoved it into my mouth and closed my eyes. I swallowed hastily and opened them. "Sorry, th-thank you f-for the food…!" I stammered.

Seria giggled. "It's okay…" she told me. I didn't mean to be rude, and I'm sure that Seria could tell that my mind was elsewhere. Actually, I think hers was too. "So…" she said after a while. "Before, when you said you ran into someone, if it wasn't Yusei or Jack… and it was someone from when you were in Team Satisfaction… who was the lady that you said looked after you? Martha, right? Was it her that you saw?"

I shook my head. "No, Zena." I talked with my mouth full, quickly putting a fist to my lips while I chewed hurriedly. "Sorry, Kalin's ex." I spoke again when I'd finished.

"And Kalin was the _leader_ of Team Satisfaction, right? And he was one of the ones who became a Dark Signer?"

I nodded. "That's right. We met Zena after a huge meeting with all the different gangs, and we were c-coming back through c-contested territory. She was all 'Hey! G-Gimme one of your vests!' and Y-Y-Yusei was like 'Nah!', and then Sector Security showed up, so we all had to run, she got separated from her g-gang and ended up tagging along with us. That's more or less it…" I trailed off. "Oh, and then she hooked up with Kalin, of course. They were actually a pretty solid couple until Kalin went all 'Hey, let's take over the Satellite!'. That kinda killed it… and then he _actually_ did kill someone, and that _really_ killed it."

Seria swallowed a mouthful of rice. "This might be a stupid question, but do you miss those days at all?" she asked.

"Not really." I admitted. "I mean, p-p-parts of it were fun, here and there. But every day was a struggle, y-y-y-y-you know? Some weeks I might have had one m-meal to eat. Most of what I found or got; I gave to the kids. I d-didn't want _them_ to go without. And… with everything else… I never told anybody back then what I went through. Not Yusei, Jack, Crow, Martha."

"Right…" Seria muttered. "So, at that time _nobody_ knew?"

"No."

"Was it that you didn't trust them back then?"

"No, they… we were… family. What happened to me… I thought that was _my_ burden to bear." My tone shifted for the worse. "And it turned out _I_ wasn't the only one who felt that way either. Yusei's father was head of the Momentum thing that caused Zero Reverse, and Jack apparently hated the Satellite from pretty much the very beginning, t-t-to the p-point that he lied and said he came from New Domino. N-N-Neither of them said anything about _that_ back in the day, so you know." My eyes shifted from my meal to Seria. "Why? Did either of them say something t-t-t-to you at my service? That I should have told them everything back then? 'Cause that's a _little_ hypocritical."

"No, they didn't say anything like that."

I sat back in my chair, putting my utensils down. "Sorry, I d-d-didn't m-mean to snap at you…" I mumbled.

"You didn't." Seria assured me.

"I-I… I just-"

"I know, you're tired." She dismissed. I sighed and resumed eating dinner. "Hey," Seria spoke up after a while, "I know our plans got thrown off today, what with Akiza and all. So… did you want to go shopping for everyone's presents tomorrow?"

My heart skipped a beat and I looked to Seria. "Yes, p-p- _please_." I nodded. "In fact, I… um… could we, um… I was th-thinking…"

"What is it…?" Seria cooed.

"I'd-I'd l-l-like to go and s-see Luna tomorrow too, i-if that's okay…"

Seria's face practically lit up. "Yes, _yes_! Of _course_!" she quickly got up out of her seat, came over and hugged me.

I froze up, instinctively pulling my arms in. It was involuntary. "Um…"

"Oh, I'm sorry…!" Seria pulled away immediately. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She repeated.

"No," I groaned and shook my head. "Don't apologize." I said, looking up at her. "I need to g-get over this. Just because Kobi and Joel did what they did to me when I was a kid… d-d-d-doesn't mean I need to freak out whenever you or Akiza or F-F-F-F-Fizdis…" I stopped, shaking my head, "t-try to hug me." I gently took Seria's hands in mine. "So, be physical with me, okay? No matter how much I squirm and spaz out, my _retarded_ body needs to learn…!"

"O-Okay, Tyler, if… if that's what you want."

I got up from my seat. "Can I have another hug?"

I must have asked in an outrageously serious tone, because Seria stifled out a little giggle before she nodded, slipping her arms underneath mine as she pressed herself against me. "Of _course_ you can…" she whispered in my ear. I shivered, momentarily burying my head in the nape of her neck.

It was nice. I mean, apart from my brain telling me to curl up into the fetal position, it was nice. It was… human nature to want some sort of physical contact with other human beings, and I'd be damned if I was going to let Kobi and Joel beat _that_ out of me.

I loosened my grip on Seria just a little. "Sorry I didn't tell you I was in the Spirit World before."

"Huh?" Seria quickly broke the hug. "Oh, that's okay. You know you're allowed to keep secrets if you want to. Just don't do it because you think I'll get angry or something. You can tell me anything you want, but I understand there are things that you might not want to tell me." Seria looked away. "Actually, um… speaking of the Spirit World, _I_ wanted to ask you about that."

"Yeah?"

Seria nodded. "You'll probably think this is a silly question, but you have to remember I'm an outsider, okay? My familiarity doesn't extend that far beyond a research capacity. I don't have any first-hand experience like you do."

"What is it?"

"Well… what's it _like_ in the Spirit World?" Seria asked. "I mean, I know… when we were both at the Arcadia Movement-"

"I know." I said softly, cutting Seria off. I didn't blame her _at all_ for anything that happened back then. She didn't do anything wrong. It was _Sayer_ that did everything, she just observed it. I sighed, pondering my response for a moment. "Well, when I went there to rescue Luna and Ancient Fairy Dragon, it, uh… wasn't _too_ good." I understated. "But all the other times I've been, it's been nice. Warm, cosy, relaxing. I mean, I'd be happy to ask a Spirit what it's actually like to live there, 'cause I don't really know either. But, no… for me, it's nice…"

"And Ancient Fairy Dragon? What's she like?"

"Oh, _really_ nice. The best." 'The best' honestly didn't feel like enough praise, and I wasn't just saying that because Ancient Fairy Dragon could have been listening in. "I mean, she's a _dragon_ , so you know, she's big and intimidating," I gestured with my hands, "but… _really_ nice. I probably wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her." I suddenly laughed. "I could say that about a lot of people, huh? I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them…" I cleared my throat. "But, no, she's… I'm really thankful for Her Majesty."

"'Her _Majesty_ '?" Seria giggled.

" _Uh_ …" I got a little flustered. "W-w-w-well, she's the Queen or the Leader of the Spirit World, you know? The Goddess or something. I don't know what the hierarchy is. I just figured, you know, she's royalty, right? She's at the top. It's… correct to refer to her with some sort of title, right?"

"I think it's _cute_ …" Seria beamed.

"Well I think I'm the only one who does it. I've never heard Luna or Regulus, or anybody refer to her with any sort of title." I sighed. "I dunno, it's probably stupid…" I grumbled.

"No, it's not stupid." Seria casually dismissed my statement. "It shows you've got respect for her. Actually, um… could you…" Seria shook her head. "The next time you talk to her, could you apologize to her for me?"

"Apologize? Why?"

"You know… me playing my part in what happened to you…" Seria mumbled. "And Luna too… You know, if, if you were meant to rescue her and save the Spirit World, the fact that I was a part of the organization that was keeping you both hostage… and the _plans_ that Sayer had for you, I-I mean-" Seria's voice had gotten quieter, and she was speaking more quickly.

I quickly cut in. "Seria, I don't know for sure what she thinks of you, but you don't need to apologize. From what I understand, which probably isn't a lot, but from what I understand, _that_ or _most of that_ was meant to happen. That was why Explosivo did what he did, okay? That was all a part of the 'big plan', or something. So, don't worry, you're not to blame. And if Her Majesty hated you, or thought less of you or whatever, then I don't think she would have let me come back here to see you. She was the one that brought me back here. But I _will_ ask her, the next time I talk to her."

"Thank you. That would be great." Seria sat back in her seat. "Sorry. I said you didn't have to speak, and here I am yammering on and asking you all these questions. We should finish eating before it gets cold, and then I'll let you head to bed, okay?"

"Okay." I nodded, my focus shifting from Seria back to my meal.

* * *

I was tired, but I couldn't fall asleep. I _wanted_ to. I was in bed lying down, it was dark, it was late, and I needed to get _some_ amount of sleep for the following day. But I just couldn't turn my brain off.

I could feel my pulse in my neck through my pillow as I laid on my side. Whether I had my eyes open or closed, I felt the same. Before going to bed, I was tired, absolutely exhausted, like I could fall asleep at any moment. But of course, now that I was actually _in_ bed and trying to _get_ to sleep, my retarded, stupid brain wouldn't let me.

I sighed and faced the ceiling, looking up at it for several minutes at least. I was having absolutely no luck getting to sleep, and if that was going to be the case, I figured I'd better at least tell Ancient Fairy Dragon upfront what my plans were. If she wanted to tell Luna or anything, or advise me against it, or _whatever_ … it was just best I tell her. "Um…" I started, "Ancient Fairy Dragon…?" I whispered. "Can you hear me…?"

"I'm here, Tyler…" Ancient Fairy Dragon's gentle, soothing voice echoed inside my head, shadows twisting and distorting along the walls of the guest room. "Is everything okay…?"

"Y-yes, Your Majesty." I looked around the room, unsure of the direction to face before just deciding to stare back up at the ceiling. "I, um… I'm… I'm going to go and see Luna tomorrow." I told her. "I just thought you should know that… i-i-if you w-wanted to say anything to her beforehand, you know, let her know I was coming, y-you can."

"That won't be necessary…" Ancient Fairy Dragon replied. "Everything Luna needs to hear… she can hear from you…"

"Okay…" I cleared my throat. "Also, um… I, um… I know before I said I'm sorry, but I never said… thank you. Thank you for… being so kind and caring, and gentle and forgiving, and rescuing me after I came back here. Thank you for letting me spend time with you in the Spirit World and thank you for checking up on me, and, just…" I sighed. "Thank you for everything, Your Majesty."

"You're _more_ than welcome, my child…" Ancient Fairy Dragon's gentle voice and warm tone made my body tingle. "I'm just glad I was able to save you…"

"Yeah…" I muttered, it only just occurring to me that, if she wanted to, Ancient Fairy Dragon could have let me die. She could have left me to bleed out when I arrived back home. The other Spirits probably wouldn't have been able to heal me without her.

"I'd never do that to you…" Ancient Fairy Dragon said, causing me to gasp. She'd read my mind again. "Your existence is important, Tyler… Not just because of what you were born to do, but because you were born at all… Life is precious, and I would never forsake _yours_ …"

I swallowed, a lump in my throat. "Y-Your Majesty…"

"One day," she told me, "you _will_ die. It is the one eventuality that ties all of humanity together. And for some, that is where their existence will end. But not you. When _you_ die, it'll be like falling asleep. And when you wake up, you'll be here in the Spirit World with me. If you desire it, you can have an eternal afterlife with me… you and Luna _both_ …"

"An eternal afterlife…?" I mumbled.

"That's right…" she said gently. "You don't have to decide right now, of course. You have the rest of your life to live, after all, but it's something to think about. Just know that I would be _delighted_ to have both you and Luna at my side once you've passed from your world."

"Luna…" I mumbled, my heart beating a little bit faster. "Your Majesty, can I ask you a question?"

"Of _course_ …"

"Um…" I wasn't quite sure how to start. "These… these feelings that I have for Luna… are they real? Are they mine? Or… or do I have them just because I'm supposed to have them?"

"You'll have to forgive me, I'm not quite sure what you mean…"

I sighed. "I mean… the bond that the Signers have, their Marks, that… red thread of fate… they were drawn to each other, to help each other… My fate's intertwined with you and Luna, r-right? S-so then… were my… are my feelings for Luna genuine, or is everything with her just… just what I'm _told_ to feel?"

Ancient Fairy Dragon's voice suddenly sounded closer, like her face was only inches from mine, and it was as though I could feel her breath on my body, my skin tingling once more as I heard her words echo much louder in my head than before. "If you're asking if… either myself or the Crimson Dragon forced you to fall in love with Luna, that's not the case at all. While it is true that, without your joint connection to this world, it is highly unlikely that the two of you would have ever met each other otherwise, I can say with absolute certainty that you feel how you feel because _you_ do, not through any kind of fate or destiny that the two of you may share. Believe me, Tyler, if _I_ had control over your fate, I would not have allowed you to suffer how you did at the hands of a truly _deplorable_ human like Kobi. You, like so many others, deserve so much more than the hand you've been dealt, and I'm going to do everything in my power now to help you, just like you helped me. You and Luna risked your own lives to restore mine and bring peace to the Spirit World, and all I want now is for Luna to be safe forever. I believe that Luna can be safe with you…"

"Well, th-thank you, Your Majesty, that means a _heck_ of a lot coming from you."

"I say it not just to strengthen your own resolve, but because it's the truth. When Luna was younger, she spent a month with me here. Of course, you know that time moves differently between the Nine Worlds – what was one month for her body in the Human World was in truth much longer in the Spirit World. In that time, she had never been happier, and would _never_ be happier. That is, until she met you."

"Really?"

Ancient Fairy Dragon _giggled_ , and there was an uncharacteristic hint of joviality in her tone. "My child, you cannot _possibly_ realize just what a profound impact you've had on her life, and I don't simply mean helping her to free myself, Regulus and the Spirit World. When her feelings for you turned into love, that happiness could be felt even _here_ , _Worlds_ apart. But more than that, I could see it in how she spoke, how she carried herself. It's not a coincidence that once she met you, her overall health started to improve…"

Ancient Fairy Dragon was wrong. I _had_ realized that, because _I'd_ felt exactly the same. Just being around Luna, whether we were in a relationship or not, I felt happier, stronger, and _better_ about myself.

I just never knew she felt just as strongly about me as I did her.

It stung, because it made what I'd done on the Ark Cradle so much worse.

I did my best not to let my emotions get the better of me. "And then I had to go and screw it all up…"

"But you came back, and you're trying… you've done so well…" she told me.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." I shifted around in my bed. "Oh, um… Seria as well, she wanted me to say sorry for… her role in the Arcadia Movement…"

"You can tell her… that the 'big and intimidating' dragon forgives her." Ancient Fairy Dragon teased, feeling my face get a little hot.

"Y-Your Majesty, I-"

"It's okay, I'm teasing…" Ancient Fairy Dragon whispered. "Truthfully, I would hate to think there's any part of you that's afraid or doubtful of me. As a human with a connection to the Spirit World and a bond with me, I love you as any parent _should_ love their child. I think of you and Luna as _my_ children. You both mean the world to me, so if ever you feel alone or unsure, just call for me, and I will be here…"

"Thank you, Your Majesty…"

Ancient Fairy Dragon hummed. "Now, my child… I think I've taken up enough of your time. You need to be well-rested for tomorrow. I can help with that, if you'll let me…"

I nodded. "Yes, please, Your Majesty. If it's not too much trouble."

"Not at all… Close your eyes and focus on my voice…"

I nodded, doing as she asked.

"Very good…"

And before I'd even realized it, I had already drifted off to sleep.

* * *

"Um… Hmm~mm…" Seria clicked her tongue, looking around at all the different jewelry in the display cases.

Coming from a bookshop having bought Akiza's present, we'd arrived at Oz Abstract just after its midday opening, and were quickly greeted by a sales assistant. I would have thought we'd go to Pandora or something, but Seria insisted that Oz Abstract was the best place to get jewelry for Luna. I wasn't going to complain. I knew next to nothing about jewelry or fashion or anything like that.

"Good afternoon, can I help you find anything?" we were asked.

"We're just looking for the moment, thank you." Seria smiled. _Seria_ was looking. _I_ was distracted by the heads of the deer or gazelle or whatever they were that were mounted on the walls, so I was glad at least one of us was able to focus.

The sales assistant bowed and left us to it, Seria leading me over to a table with some display cases. "What about one of these…?" Seria whispered to me.

"Uh…" I looked down at the display case. All the pieces looked so intricate. There was a ring fittingly called 'Black Rose' which I thought would have suited Akiza, but as for Luna, I wasn't sure. There were rings with crowns, skulls, demon eyes, and that was to say nothing of the bracelets, earrings, necklaces and all the other pieces of jewelry. "Um… well, I was _thinking_ a ring, but all of these look really, um… flashy. I'm not sure if that's L-L-Luna's style…"

"Well we don't have to get anything _too_ over the top. We could get her a sterling silver ring with her birthstone if you wanted. When's Luna's birthday?"

"The twe-twentieth of June."

"Right, so she'd have three birthstones then: Alexandrite, moonstone, and pearl." Seria slowly turned to me, a wide smile on her face. "So, a _moonstone_ for _Luna_?"

"Is that alright? Or do you think it might be a bit t-t-too early for jokes?"

"I think it might help break the ice." Seria's eyes scanned the display cases in front of us. "You wouldn't know what her size is, would you?"

"Um, no, I thought you w-w-weren't supposed to ask women about that sort of thing."

"I meant _ring size_ , you precious little _angel_!" Seria giggled, tapping me on the nose.

"Oh… see, I'm just an idiot."

Seria beamed at me. "That's alright. We can wing it, and if it doesn't fit properly, we'll see if we can get it resized. And if we can't do that, we can just buy another one."

"An…other one?" I asked.

"What's wrong?"

"I…" I sighed. "One is expensive enough…" I whispered. "Especially since I don't have any money. The fact that you bought Akiza's present…" I eyed the bag Seria was carrying. Inside was a copy of 'Botanica's Encyclopedia of Roses'. "I just feel bad. I know at the moment, I'm not doing anything to help, but…" I trailed off with a sigh.

Seria glanced around for a moment, before taking me by the hand to a corner of the shop. "Look at this…" she said under her breath as she fiddled with her pink Birkin bag, fetching her purse before showing me the contents.

My eyes widened. Seria was carrying a _lot_ of money on her. _Way_ more than I thought she even _had_. Way more than I'd ever _seen_.

I leaned close to her. "Where'd you get all _that_ …?" I whispered.

"From my _job_." Seria smiled.

"Right, but, um… I didn't realize you had so _much_ money…"

"Well I don't really like to flaunt my money around. I find it much better being frugal most of the time, and then treating myself every so often, you know?" Seria ran her fingers through her hair. "But you were so concerned with the money that I just thought I'd show you. There's nothing you need to worry about."

"I thought I was leaving you in the lurch a little, financially." I admitted.

"Oh, no. I wouldn't have offered you to come live with me if I was only barely getting by. I wouldn't do that to you – ask you to come and live with me if I was struggling financially. It was never about the money, Tyler. Why _I_ was upset about Joel taking off with your money, is that that money was _yours_. I remember when you got your first paycheck, you wanted to use half to start paying back Joel and the other half to help me pay rent on the apartment."

"Well, _yeah_ … I wouldn't have gotten that job if you hadn't have vouched for me. The way I see it, you were more entitled to the money I earned than I was. I just… I don't like owing people things, and… Joel having all that over me, everything he bought, which admittedly wasn't much – a suit, some food, but… after everything he and Kobi did, I just wanted it to be over. I don't want anything to do with him. And after that, it was just… yeah… helping you. I mean, you-you gave me a home. Why would I _not_ give you the money I earned?"

Seria put her purse away. "Well, _you_ don't owe _me_ anything, so I don't want you to think that you do. Really, you getting a job is, for me, more about you having a reason to get up in the morning, rather than any sort of financial assistance. Have you _had_ any thoughts about what you might want to do for a job once all this is settled?" Seria asked me.

"Um… not really, no. I-I know I probably should be thinking about that, but…" I sighed. "I r-r-r-really just want to get things sorted with everybody first. If I'm honest, I know I probably won't be as lucky as I was before, g-g-getting a job and holding it down. I had a really good thing going at the Library, and then I declined getting my contract renewed, so they probably won't want me back. And I'm not even qualified for anything. I only got _that_ job 'cause of you."

Seria tilted her head to the side and hummed. "Have you thought about a career in the Pro League?" she suddenly asked.

"What? Like, like Pro Dueling?"

"Yeah. You said you won that tournament in the other Dimension, right?"

"Well, yeah, but it wasn't really _fair_. Most of the competitors were w-what you and I would consider Old Satellite residents, so their Decks weren't, you know, built to be the best they could be. Like, n-n-not what you saw at the WRGP or stuff like that. And anyway, it was a Tag Duel thing, and, I mean, Tim, h-he… I mean-"

"I just figured if you managed to beat the Jack of that other Dimension, you know, he sounded pretty tough from what you described. I just thought it's something to consider."

"I guess…" I mumbled. "It w-would be fun to Duel in a more casual environment." My eyes widened. "N-not _casual_ , I know t-t-t-t-t-tournaments get compet… comp… get competitive. I just mean, it w-would be nice to Duel without the fate of the w-world on the line." I shook my head. "But I don't know. Even then, I'd prefer to do Tag Duels over Singles, Matches or Turbo Duels, and most of the Dueling Leagues nowadays focus on Turbo Duels anyway, and I haven't been in the driver's seat of a Duel Runner since the accident a year ago."

"Alright…" Seria pursed her lips. "We'll think of something…"

"I appreciate you thinking about it." I gently squeezed her hand. "What I _do_ know, is that _whatever_ I end up doing, I'll be doing it here in New Domino." I shook my head. "I still don't get why everybody left. Well, not _everybody_ , obviously, but Jack and Leo. I mean, Jack especially, m-m-moving away." I quickly shook my head again. "This is _the_ City where T-Turbo Dueling was invented! This is _the place_ to do it! It's like, if you lived in the United States, New York City, and you went 'hey, I'm going to go and do musical theater in _Australia_ ', and you left New York, the place where it's, you know, the biggest, at its peak or w-whatever for some weird country like that. Like… like, _what_?! I just don't get it! Jack was already… from what I understood, people came from far and wide to challenge him. He didn't need to _go_ anywhere. Everybody came to _him_. I thought that was the whole deal!"

Seria laughed. "Well when you put it like _that_ , yeah, it does sound a little strange!" she agreed.

"And Leo _too_ , like… I don't get why he'd leave… leave without Luna. I mean, I did that, but that was a mistake _I_ made." I sighed. "Like, what Akiza's doing is incredibly noble and sweet, but what if she decided she wanted to go and do that in Europe or something and broke up with Yusei? I dunno. I… I…" I sighed once more. "All I'm trying to say is, do whatever you want, but don't make any decisions based on a stupid, _incredibly_ rash one that _I_ made. Nobody had to go and do anything because _I_ did something. And it just… it _sucks_ that I caused all these problems…"

"Hey…! Hey-hey-hey-hey- _hey_ …!" Seria quickly cupped my head in her hands. " _Listen_ to me: what you did… you don't need me to tell you again how _stupid_ I think it was, but Jack and Leo, they _chose_ to leave. No one _made_ them. It's not your fault. And you're back now, and you're trying, and that's all anyone can ask of you. You being alive, and coming back…" Seria surrendered her hands to her sides. "Sorry, I don't mean to get mushy…" she whispered.

I laughed. "You don't need to apologize to _me_ for that…!"

The two of us gasped suddenly as her bag vibrated, Seria fishing her cell phone out as she answered it. "Hello~" Seria answered. "I'm _go~od_ , how are you? …Mhm? Out doing some shopping. _Mhm_. Yep, he's here with me right now," Seria said aloud before mouthing "Akiza," to me in silence. "That's right…" she nodded quickly. "He _is_!" Seria's eyes suddenly snapped to mine. "Do you want to speak to him?"

My heart jumped into my throat. No. No-no-no-no-no, no-no, no-no-no.

"I'd… I'd… I'd r-r-r-rather not t-talk on the phone." I understated.

"I'll put him on for you." Seria said before covering the phone and turning to me. "You talk to Akiza, and I'll take care of the ring, okay?"

"I-I-I-I-I really-" I could barely even form a _thought_ , my heart was pounding so much just at the prospect, the fear of having to talk to someone on the phone, much less _Akiza_.

"You can do it. Don't worry." Seria assured me with the sweetest of smiles, forcefully placing her phone into my hand.

"S-Seria…!" I exhaled. I couldn't argue; she'd already walked away. I closed my eyes, bringing the phone up to my ear. "H-h-h-h-h-h-h-hi… s- _sorry_ … hi, Akiza…"

"Hi, Tyler!" Akiza greeted warmly. "I just wanted to find out how things went with Mina yesterday. Did it all go okay?"

"Y-yeah, it w-w-went f-f-f-fine."

"Great! That's _great_! I'm _so_ glad!"

"Yeah, so, um… if-if-if you want t-to, um…" I sighed, exasperated. "Sorry…"

"It's okay…" I heard Akiza whisper to me on the line.

"I… if you have time, and want to know where I've been, I would be happy to tell you sometime."

"I _would_ , absolutely. Actually, I was wondering if you wanted to come around to my place, have dinner with me and my parents sometime. Are you free tonight?"

"Tonight? Um… I don't know. I'm, um… I'm actually going to… go and see Luna today."

"Really? Oh, that's _great_! I'm sure she'll be thrilled to see you!"

"I-I-I hope so…" I muttered. "We're getting her a present. I b-b-b-bought y-you one t-t-too."

"Tyler, you didn't have to do that."

"Yeah, I did." I stated matter-of-factly, though my tone was soft. "You've been so nice to me. You and M-Mina and S-S-Seria. And I want you to know, you know, how much I app-p-p-p-p-preciate you." I sighed. "But yeah, so… I don't know how things are going to go with Luna. I… might not be up for anything later."

Akiza sighed. "Tyler, I'm _sure_ it'll all be fine, but I understand. It was short notice anyway."

"Sorry…"

"Don't apologize, it's fine." She assured me. "Maybe when this is all sorted, we could all get together for a barbecue or something?"

I found myself smiling at the thought. "I'd l-l-l-like that a lot."

" _Great_." She said warmly. "I know not everyone from Team 5D's is still around these days, but it would be nice to catch up with everyone that's here."

My smile faded. "Ak-Akiza, I told you… I wasn't, I'm _not_ a part of Team 5D's."

"Tyler-"

"Akiza, I'm happy to get together, but… Team 5D's, that's _you guys_. You, Yusei, Jack, Crow, the twins, Bruno. _I_ was in the hospital for most of that." I should have left it there. I should have stopped talking, but I didn't. "Not that Yusei or anyone else decided to visit me or anything, but _whatever_. I'm not saying they had to do what Luna did, you know, come and visit me pretty much every day. But not even _once_? And I'm _not allowed_ to feel hurt by that?"

"Tyler, I'm… I'm sorry, I had no idea you felt like that."

"Well I didn't really feel like that at the time. I was probably too wacked out on medication to really feel anything, but getting my memories back, remembering how close we were back then, and then everything I've been through now… it hurts. Me, Crow, Yusei, Jack, Kalin and Zena. We were like a family. And I know me getting amnesia must have killed Yusei because I didn't… there was n-n-nothing there for me. But I didn't know, you know? And I did the best I could with him and Taze, and… I know it hurt Jack because he made it _blatantly_ clear to me that I was dead to him. He said as much the last time I saw him."

I could hear Akiza breathing on the other end, but she otherwise stayed silent.

I inhaled sharply. "I'm not angry at you, Akiza, so please don't think…" I exhaled. "You're completely blameless, I know that. and when it comes to me and you, I know I fucked up. If I'd defeated Joel on the Ark Cradle, if I'd have killed him, I would have let you do what you wanted to the Planetary Gear. I never wanted~" I stopped, feeling my voice break. "I never wanted anything to happen to the City, to _you_ , to Luna… I love you guys so much~"

"I know…" she whispered. "I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. For what it's worth… I _know_ Yusei considers you a part of Team 5D's."

I closed my eyes, exhaling sharply. Those few months I spent in my apartment undergoing physical rehabilitation after the accident involving that 'Fake Jack' begged to differ. Yusei didn't visit me _once_ during that time.

Again, I couldn't help myself. "Well, he had a funny way of showing it-"

" _Tyler_ ," Akiza cut me off. "There's… I _really_ …" she stopped, exhaling sharply herself. "You need to talk to Yusei. As soon as you can." She said firmly. "Promise me you will."

"I plan to. Once I've seen Luna, and at least _started_ to smooth things over with her, I'm gonna get in touch with Yusei."

"Good. Because… he… he misses you."

"I've missed _him_. I've missed _all_ of you. That's why… that's why I came back. That's why I'm here, but… I just w-wonder, you know? It's hard to know what he's thinking sometimes. You know that probably better than _I_ do at this point." I sighed. "Anyway, that's…" I trailed off, Seria catching my attention out of the corner of my eye, waving to me from the counter. "Oop, sorry, Akiza, I, um… I… I…"

"Do you have to go?" Akiza cooed.

"Y-yeah…" I stammered, slowly making my way over to the counter. "I th-th-think we've got the p-present for L-L-L-Luna sorted."

"Alright, I'll let you go. Good luck. I'll be thinking of you."

"Thanks."

"Wait, before you go…" Akiza paused, "If… if Luna calls me later, surprised that you're back, what would you like me to do?"

I cleared my throat, certainty in my voice. "Feign shock, p-p-p-pretend you don't know. I don't want you or anyone else getting dragged into this if it all goes to shit."

"I'm sure it won't, but alright. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay."

"Bye, Tyler."

"Bye…" I whispered.

I'd made my way to the counter pretty much as the phone call ended, Seria reaching out for my hand, looking quite excited. Both her and the sales assistant, who I assumed help Seria pick out a ring, had great big smiles on their faces. "Tyler! Tyler, look!" Seria said giddily. "This is the one we decided on. I think she's really going to like it."

Seria handed me a black velvet ring box with much enthusiasm, it occurring to me right away that that meant it had probably already been paid for.

Nevertheless, I gave Seria back her phone and opened the ring box. "Oh, _wow_!" I exclaimed, feeling a little short of breath.

"It's called a 'Colimica Ring'." the sales assistant told me.

"See? It's got little hearts on the sides, it's sterling silver, _a~and_ … moonstone in the middle!" Seria beamed. "So, what do you think?" she asked.

"I… I…" I stuttered. "It's… it's _beautiful_ , Seria, thank you! I'm… I'm sure Luna will _love_ it! _Thank you_!" I gushed, my eyes darting between Seria and the ring.

"You're _more_ than welcome." She continued to smile at me.

A Colimica Ring with moonstone. It _really_ was a beautiful ring, and it looked to be about Luna's size too. I hoped she'd like it.

"I'll bag it up for you." the sales assistant smiled. I closed the ring box and gave it to her, watching her place it into a carry bag, along with a pack of incense, cloths, and pouches. "Here you are." She smiled, offering me the bag.

Seria nudged me to take it and I did, bowing to the sales assistant. "Th-thank you very m-m-much…"

"Thank you," Seria nodded to her.

"You're welcome. Thank _you_ for coming in." she continued to smile.

I fidgeted a little, Seria slipping a hand into my free one, walking me out of the shop.

There wasn't a cloud in the sky as Seria and I re-emerged on the streets of the Tops East Plaza. I straightened myself up, clearing my throat. "Alright…" I said aloud, quietly.

"We made pretty good time, I think. Anyway, that's Akiza's and Luna's presents taken care of. Now…"

I nodded. "Now _your_ present."

Seria shook her head, smiling. "That's sweet, but I don't need anything." Seria opened her eyes, looking down at our interlocked fingers, before slowly look back into my eyes. "Just… to see you alive, and smiling, and _happy_ … That's all I want. That's the only present I need."

"Seria…" I whispered, swallowing. "S-Seria, Akiza said… Akiza said… something to me yesterday that… I n-need to say to you." I steadied myself. "I love you. Not, you know, _sexually_ , just… you're so supportive of me."

I watched Seria's cheeks go red and felt her hold my hand a little bit tighter. "Wha… _what_ ~?"

"Just… from one human being to another, I love you. I… want you to know that. 'Cause I know I can be difficult, and not all there, and might seem unappreciative, but… the truth is, I don't know what I'd do without you. You're like…" I pondered the best way to say it, eventually settling on "you're like a cool big sister."

I wondered if I should have been proud of how much I seemed to make Seria blush. I don't think I'd ever seen her face go as red as I'd seemed to have made it. "Big sister…" she whispered, clearing her throat _several_ times over. "Okay, when you say 'big sister', how _big_ are we talking? Because I'm not _that_ much older than you, I'm…" Seria slowed her words, coming to a stop, her eyes averting mine for a moment. "Wait…"

"What?"

"Your birthday…" Seria said breathily. "Your birthday was two weeks ago!" she said suddenly.

"Oh…" I said aloud. "Oh yeah…" I honestly hadn't even realized. There were far more important things going on back then, and there _still_ was. "Well, anyway-"

"We have to do something for it!" Seria insisted.

"No, we _do~on't_!" I said back in a sing-song way.

"Uh, _yeah_ , we _do~o_!" Seria argued. "That makes you, what? Nineteen?"

"Yeah?" I shrugged. "Doesn't matter. I don't need to celebrate a birthday. Besides, there's more important things to worry about anyway."

Seria put a hand to her hip. "You're doing it right now, you know?"

"What?"

"Being difficult." She told me.

My heart skipped a beat. "I-I-I-I-I'm sorry-"

Seria suddenly smiled. "I'm joking!" she assured me. "Listen: if you don't want to celebrate, we don't have to, but… I think it would be nice if we did _something_. I mean, I know I've said it already, but… you're back, you're _alive_ , you're _here_. That's… that's something to celebrate, I think. Don't you?"

"I guess so…"

Seria beamed at me once more. "Besides, what kind of 'big sister' would I be if I didn't want to celebrate the safe return of my 'little brother', right?"

I pushed air out my nose and laughed. "Fair enough."

"Right then. With that out of the way, what did you want to get for Yusei?"

"Um…" my mind drew a blank. "I have no idea, honestly. He's probably got almost anything he could ever want, at least in terms of stuff _I_ could get him."

"Well, we don't have to get _all_ the presents today. I mean, we've got _Luna's_ present. We could go visit her now, save Yusei's for another time. What do you think?"

I turned to the direction of Leo and Luna's… _Luna's_ penthouse, the highest point of New Domino City. I could see it quite easily from where we were standing in the plaza. "Yeah… Yusei's present can wait. I've put this off long enough."

The _second_ understatement of the year.

" _But_ ," I pulled my hand from Seria's, taking a few steps back, " _we're_ not going to go see her. Just me."

"Tyler…"

"This is my mess, Seria. You've gone above and beyond, but I d-don't want you to get caught up in it any further. I know how people get with things like this. 'Why wasn't I told?' or 'Were you keeping this a secret?'. I said the same thing to Akiza and Her Majesty. I don't want her blaming anyone except me. This is _my_ fault, and it's time I take responsibility for the shitty things I've done."

Seria exhaled. "Are you sure you don't want me to at least _drive_ you there?" she asked. "The car's just-"

"I'm sure." I told her. "It shouldn't take me too long to get there. Probably about twenty minutes from here." I smiled weakly. "You can head home and _relax_ for a bit. You've… you've been so amazing."

"Are you _sure_?" Seria hesitated.

"I'm sure." I repeated.

Seria closed her eyes for a moment, relenting. "Alright." She came close to me, wrapping her arms around me, laying her head atop mine for a moment. "I guess I'll see you at home then, or I can come by later and pick you up?"

"I'll figure it out…" I whispered.

"I know you will…" Seria pulled away, running her fingers up my arms. She hesitated once more before leaning forward, gently pressing her lips to my forehead. "Good luck."

"Thanks…"

Seria pulled away once more, her smile not faltering. She reminded me so much of Fizdis. Her kindness, her selflessness. That… similar familial feeling, which was probably just a weird mental defect on my part.

I watched her turn and walk away, heading to her car, the opposite direction to where I wanted, no, _needed_ to go.

When Seria had disappeared from my sight, I looked down at the carry bag with Luna's ring inside, took a deep breath, and started walking, briskly, towards the penthouse.

* * *

I stared at the door, the entrance to Luna's penthouse, for longer than I needed to without even knocking on the door. In spite of all the preparation, in spite of me spending the last month _wishing_ I could be back, I was nervous. Not like how I'd been nervous before with Mina, or how I'd become generally anxious over having to speak, like with Akiza on the phone, or even back just before Luna and I had gotten together, and how I'd stood outside her place with a bouquet of roses, debating on whether or not to open the door.

No, it was a whole other level. In fact, it was all of it.

Luna's penthouse was where Explosivo betrayed me for the second time, where I'd tried to take my life, where Luna saved me and opened up to me, where we'd first kissed, where I fell in love. But above the bad and the good, beyond all of that, it was Luna's _home_.

It was like Tim said. Home was the one place above all else where you had a right to feel safe. And when I was with Luna, I felt safe, but… by me coming back and showing my face again, to her, after all this time, was I robbing _her_ of that right? It had been a month since I disappeared, but she'd had six months before that to get over me. Sure, Seria said that Luna missed me, that she wanted to sort things out, but just because Luna had apparently said that to her, that didn't mean that was actually how she felt. It was a two-way street, after all. I didn't call Luna, but she didn't call me either! She could have if she wanted to, but she didn't. And Seria herself had even said that she hasn't spoken to her recently, so for all I knew, Luna could have moved on, and by me coming back, I would have just been drudging it up and opening all of those wounds again. And I would have been doing that to her in her home, where she was supposed to feel safe!

I was getting frustrated with myself. I knew if I kept standing there, I'd have eventually talked myself out of it. So, I closed my eyes, exhaled sharply, and knocked on the door. Future Tyler could deal with it if it all went to shit, I thought.

I could hear sounds from behind the door, people talking. I couldn't hear Luna's voice, but I could hear two others. I quickly drew my hands in behind my back, hiding the bag for the moment. The talking got louder, and before I knew it, my heart was in my throat, and my stomach churning with nerves.

The door opened, but it wasn't Luna standing on the other side. Instead, it was a girl about her age wearing a black sundress and a big pink bow in her long purple hair. She was chewing gum or eating something. She had _something_ in her mouth anyway.

" _Hello_?"

I straightened up. All I had to do was say my name, but of course, my stutter coupled together with my nerves made that impossible. It was that damn hard 'T' that I just couldn't get passed. "Sorry," I apologized, "um… I have a stutter, um…" I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "Tyler. My name's Tyler. I-I'm h-here to see Luna. Is she available right n-now?"

I was _so_ _nailing_ the whole speaking thing!

" _Uh_ …" the girl furrowed her eyebrows and turned around briefly. " _Luna_?!" the girl called. "Someone named _Tyler_ is here to see you!"

There was a sudden, frantic rush of footsteps as Luna came to the door. I was quickly taken aback by how beautiful she looked. Not to say that she wasn't always beautiful, she _was_ , just… how much she'd changed.

She wasn't wearing her usual clothes, what I remembered her almost always wearing. Her jacket, shorts and sneakers, and her hair wasn't tied into two pigtails either. Instead, her hair was longer, waist-length and down completely, and she wore a light blue shirt with a bright pink love heart just a little bit off-center on it. Her shorts, a darker shade of green than her hair, were _dangerously_ short. She'd also gotten much taller too, and it would have been clear to anybody who saw her that, well, her… body had… started developing.

Luna was obviously taken aback by me as well. Her eyes were wide. She almost looked frightened that I was standing in front of her.

Her mouth dropped open. Okay, she looked legitimately _terrified_ that I was standing in front of her!

"Luna-" I was silenced as Luna slammed the door in my face.

I took a step back, exhaling shakily.

I shouldn't have been surprised. Even if Luna hadn't have been angry with me at all, she'd thought I was dead, so of course she'd be shocked to find out that that was no longer the case.

"Uh, Luna, _what_ the heck?" came that other girl's voice, muffled from behind the door. "Luna? _Luna_!"

Luna mumbled something, and I stepped forward, knocking on the door once more. "L… Luna…" I called to her through the door. "I-I know…" I closed my eyes. "I know this is… must be a… surprise that I'm here, but… if you'll just l-l-let me explain, I c-can… I'd like to talk to you. Please… can you please open the door…?" I asked softly.

No response, from Luna anyway. "Luna?" the other girl asked. I had no idea what was going on on the other side of that door. I waited until I heard the door get deadbolted, and my heart sank.

"Okay…" I whispered, looking away from the door. I got the message. She didn't want to talk to me.

"Hey…"

I turned behind me to see both the Spirits of Kiwi and Lemon Magician Girl hovering above the floor.

"Luna _can_ see us, can't she? I'm happy to go in and talk to her if you want." Lemon Magician Girl offered.

"No." I shook my head. "She _can_ , but don't worry about it." I told them, looking back towards the door.

"Tyler," Kiwi Magician Girl spoke curtly, "I'm sure if she knew what you've been through, Luna-"

"It's fine. Really." I cut her off. I closed my eyes, debating on whether to press the issue further. I leaned against the door, calling to Luna from the other side. "Luna… I-I'm staying at Seria's. If you want to find me, or talk, that's where I'll be." I sighed. "I-I-I'm sorry for d-dropping by unannounced. Have a good afternoon, okay?"

And with that, I turned and left, heading back towards the elevator across the floor. I tapped my finger on the button as I reached the wall, and entered the elevator when the doors opened, Kiwi and Lemon Magician Girl entering with me.

"Tyler-" Lemon Magician Girl started to speak, but I cut her off.

"If she doesn't want to talk to me, then she doesn't want to talk to me." I said simply. I pushed a big breath of air out my nose. "Frankly, I don't blame her. I've been lucky with Seria and Akiza, and everyone else so far. I was waiting for the other shoe to drop at some point." I turned to the Spirits. "Thanks for checking up on me though, r-r-r-r-really. I ap… app…" I sighed, "it's those fucking p's, I swear to _God_!" I shouted. "Appreciate, fuck, _appreciate_. I really appreciate it." I sighed, covering my eyes with my free hand.

" _Tyler_ …" Lemon Magician Girl groaned, sounding clearly pained.

"So, what are you going to do now then?" Kiwi Magician Girl asked.

I sighed once more, and brought my hand away from my eyes.

"I'm gonna go home…"

* * *

It was a fairly long walk from Luna's penthouse to Seria's apartment. Kiwi and Lemon Magician Girl refused to leave me alone with my thoughts during the trek home, instead regaling me with talk of the Spirit World, and how different mine supposedly was to the one back home in their Dimension.

I knew what they were doing, trying to keep me distracted, occupy my thoughts with other things. I wasn't really in the mood to talk, but I did so anyway, even if it got me random looks of concern and confusion from passers-by who couldn't see or hear Spirits.

By the time I'd arrived home though, Kiwi and Lemon Magician Girl had been called back to the Spirit World, and I came through the front door alone, dragging my feet inside.

I tried to be as quiet as I could, but I probably just ended up making more noise that way. Not that it mattered – Seria was sitting on the couch watching TV as I returned, and she switched it off immediately, turning to me and giving me her full attention.

"You're back! How'd it go?"

I gently placed the carry bag onto the countertop. "It didn't." I said simply.

"Oh _no_."

"Don't worry," I smiled, "it could have gone much worse than it did. She… she got a little freaked out and slammed the door in my face. My fault. She had a friend over, and I showed up out of the blue. Of _course_ she'd react the way she did."

"I'm _really_ sorry, Tyler-"

"Don't be. This is all my fault. I shouldn't have done…" I trailed off, looking down. "I dunno… there's a lot of things I could have done differently, now that I think about it." I looked back over at Seria. "I know I said I d-d-d-didn't want to imp-implicate you, but… I told her I was here. Is… is that okay?"

Seria nodded quickly. "Of course." Seria's eyes suddenly widened. "In that case, I'll go and grab my cell phone. She might have tried to call me." She said, quickly disappearing into her bedroom.

I sighed, mulling around before removing my shoes, leaving them by the front door and slinking down on to the couch in the living room.

"Three missed calls." I heard Seria say as she returned, showing me the screen. "I'll call her back." She said quickly, tapping on the screen and placing the phone to her ear. "Straight to voicemail." She said aloud before clearing her throat. "Hey, Luna, it's Seria!" Seria spoke with her trademark sweet, almost infantilizing tone. "Sorry for missing your calls. Hope you're doing okay. Call me back when you get this, okay? Talk soon! Bye~!"

I continued as Seria hung up the phone. "I just figured, you know, stay there and keep pushing, one of us might say something in the moment that we shouldn't, so… I just told her that, if she wanted to come and see me, that I'd be here." I exhaled. "So, if she doesn't, then that's it, I guess." I shrugged.

"Tyler…" Seria's face was awash with concern.

"It's fine. Mina's probably gonna tell Jack I'm alive, but he won't care. And I doubt Leo would want anything to do with me if _Luna_ doesn't, so that just leaves Yusei."

Seria glanced down at her phone. "He still hasn't returned my call from yesterday."

"That's alright." I dismissed. "I mean, not for you, he should get back to you. I just mean, I don't think I could see him right now. I just…" and that was it. The last bit of my composure was gone. To be fair, I lasted a lot longer than I thought I would, all things considered. "I don't know. I don't know." I repeated. "I feel angry, but I know I shouldn't, because I caused all of this, and it's my fault, but I~" my voice broke, and I burst into tears.

On the bright side, there was probably no better place _to_ cry than in the safety of Seria's apartment, away from the rest of the world. "Oh, _honey_ , no…!" Seria came to my side immediately, sitting down beside me and wrapping an arm around my shoulder. "C'mere…!" she turned and completely pressed herself against me. "It's okay…" she cooed.

"I don't know what to do. I ruined everything." I groaned, my voice shaky and wet.

"You didn't. And she could… she could still _call_ , she could still come here." Seria assured me, moving to cup my head in her hands.

I shook my head. "You didn't see her. It wasn't just… that I was there, that she was surprised like you were. She was absolutely…" I struggled to find the right word, " _horrified_ that I was there. Like she thought I was going to _kill_ her~" my voice broke again. "I don't know what I expected, and I don't know what to do now…" I turned away from Seria and exhaled. "God, this is such a mess…"

"You've done the best you can…" Seria whispered to me. "And that's all you _can_ do…" Seria breathed on my neck and I closed my eyes.

We stayed silent for a little while after that. Seria had returned to sitting beside me, laying her head on my shoulder and wrapping an arm around me, the two of us facing the TV, our reflections visible on the empty screen.

"Thank you…" I whispered. "Thank you for everything…" I gently squeezed Seria's hand. "All of this crap has been about me, and I know y-y-you're probably sick of me talking about it all at this point, so I'm just…" I sighed, suddenly laughing. "I don't know, I'm gonna shut up…" I threw my head back against the couch, looking up at the ceiling in silence.

After a long few minutes, Seria moved her head from my shoulder and looked at me. "You know… every night, before I go to sleep, I don't hope that tomorrow will be a good or better day. I tell myself 'tomorrow, _I'm_ going to do better'. Because there's no point in just _hoping_ for things to be better. The only person you can rely on, the only thing you _can_ control is you." Seria licked her lips, tilting her head as she looked away. "I mean, I'm Psychic, so _technically_ I could manifest the powers of Brain Control and control someone's mind, but ethically and _legally_ … you're only in control of your own actions." I turned to look at her, and she smiled. "You did the right thing, going and telling Luna, but it's up to her now. If she doesn't… if she doesn't want anything more to do with you, then… you just have to accept it." Seria exhaled, and I could feel her breath on my face. "And then, whatever happens… tomorrow, we'll do better… okay…?"

In spite of the continued presence of tears in my eyes, I pushed a bunch of air out my nose, closed my eyes and nodded. "Okay."

" _Okay_!" Seria beamed. I flinched, opening my eyes as Seria ruffled my hair. "Now that that's sorted… _lunch_! I was thinking," Seria pretended to ponder, "considering the circumstances, we could stay in, get something delivered and watch a movie? What do you think?"

"I-" I'd barely even started to respond, and Seria was already multitasking between the TV and her phone.

"What do you feel like?" she asked softly.

I closed my eyes once more and sighed. "I don't know. Anything. Please… don't go to any trouble for me."

"It's no trouble." Seria assured me. "What about something greasy? Golden Brown?"

I shrugged. "Sure…"

"I _knew_ you'd go for that." Seria beamed at me, once again focusing on her phone. "Okay, if I get a Tofu and Burdock Veggie Burger, you'll have my fries, right?"

"Only if you don't want them."

"I might have a _few_. Anyway, what do you want?"

"Um…" I pondered. "Screw it! Can I be a total pig and get both a Classic Triple Burger _and_ a Chili Cheeseburger?"

"You _can_ , if that's what you want."

"Is that alright? I'll regret it tomorrow, but like you said, I'll do better then."

Seria giggled. "That's not quite what I meant, but if that's what you want-" Seria stopped, her and I turning to the front door at the sound of someone pounding on it. She frowned. "I'll get it." She said, handing me her phone as she got up off the couch, heading to the door. The pounding continued. I looked back down at Seria's phone, hearing her open the door and gasp. " _Luna_ …?"

"Where is he?" I heard her say, and I turned back towards the door. Luna shuddered as our eyes met.

"Luna…!" I stood up from the couch, setting Seria's phone down. I could see her breathing visibly, her shirt moving in and out, her shoulders slightly hunched forward.

"Tyler…!" Luna squeaked, the poor girl hyperventilating. I took a few steps towards the door, and Luna took a few steps toward me, her eyes becoming lachrymose. "How…?"

Seria quickly looked between the two of us. "Want me to explain for you?" she asked me.

"N-no, y-you _can't_ be him…!" Luna started trembling.

"Luna…" I sighed. It hurt to hear that, to be honest. I mean, it was a logical response – it made sense, but still.

Seria's eyes widened, turning fully to face Luna. "Luna, it _is_ Tyler. I know it's hard to believe…"

" _It's him_ …"

My body shivered at the sudden sound of his voice, my former Spirit Partner, Explosivo, making his presence known to Luna and I.

"You…" I whispered.

"He might look a little different to how you remember him, but his soul's the same. It's definitely Tyler."

"Y-you brought him al-l-l-long…?" I asked softly.

" _Tyler_?" Seria looked at me with concern. I was shaking, and I didn't even realize it until Seria grabbed one of my hands. I flinched and reeled back. "Tyler, what's wrong?" she asked.

"So it _is_ Tyler then?" Luna asked Explosivo.

He nodded, a warm smile on his face. "Alive and well, it seems."

I was pushing out ragged breaths, doing the best I could to keep my composure.

"Is there a Spirit in the room?" Seria asked me.

"Mhm." I verbalized.

"I needed to bring someone who knew you, that could sense your soul and prove it was really you…" Luna said.

"If that's all you need, shall I leave you to it then?" Explosivo asked.

"No-no-no, don't go…" I said softly, even though I knew he wasn't talking to me. "I've actually got some stuff I need to say to you."

Explosivo bowed. "If that's what you want."

I shook my head. "You _never_ cared about what I wanted."

"Tyler…" Seria muttered, and I turned to her.

"This isn't fair to you." I said aloud. I went over and grabbed my Duel Disk, fitting my hand into it and activating it. "You brought the card with you, didn't you? H-h-hand it to me." I spoke to Luna while looking at Explosivo. I outstretched my arm for her to give me the card.

"Do as he says…" Explosivo told her.

Luna looked to him and nodded quickly, fumbling around in her pocket for the card before handing it to me. I slapped the card onto my Duel Disk, Explosivo's form becoming corporeal.

"Oh my _goodness_ …!" Seria gasped, taking a few steps back in surprise.

"There." I said firmly. "Now we can all see, we can all hear, and there are no secrets."

"What card is _that_?" Seria asked.

"That's Explosivo." I told her. "A servant of Her Majesty, the Ancient Fairy Dragon."

"And he's the one that-"

"Yeah." I cut Seria off. She knew. I'd told her everything, but at least now she could put a face to a name. And it wouldn't have been right to exclude her from the conversation just because she couldn't see or hear Spirits herself. "Explosivo, this is Seria." I introduced. "She used to work with the Arcadia Movement."

"I know." He said simply. "I've listened in on conversations between Luna and her before."

"Okay, good, so y-y-you're all up to speed then." I said in a patronizing way. "You know that last year I got my memories back, so, you know, I remember everything. But I've been away for a while. I've had some time to think, have things put into perspective." I noticed Explosivo's body tense for a moment. "Oh, don't worry. I'm not going to throw you under the bus like you did me." He would have known that I disappeared too, and for whatever reason it seemed, he didn't tell Luna either. And I _highly_ doubted that it was because Ancient Fairy Dragon told him not to. "I just want to understand…"

"Understand what?" he asked.

"Just… why…? All the shit I went through with Kobi and Joel… that didn't need to happen…" I muttered. "If I had to get to the Arcadia Movement back then to rescue Luna, 'cause that's where she'd end up at some point, could you not just have brought me there, back then when I was eight? Right after my father died, instead of enduring all of that, I could have been there for, I don't know, however many years. I wouldn't have minded waiting if you had have explained yourself. Why did I have to suffer for a year? Why did I have to get beaten down day after day and night after night? Why didn't you help me?"

"If I had taken you to the Arcadia Movement back then, you would have died." Explosivo said bluntly. "The experiments those humans were conducting… your body wouldn't have been able to handle them. From what I understand you were _barely_ able to handle them when you were seventeen. As an _eight_ -year old? You'd have died like so many others there."

Seria shook her head quickly. "N-no, I wouldn't have let that happen to him!" she insisted.

Explosivo eyed Seria wearily. "I'm aware that the death of that boy, Toby Tredwell, was the catalyst for your change of heart. If Tyler had have arrived at the Arcadia Movement before _he_ did, then he would have certainly met his end from your experiments." Explosivo turned to me, "And I… _we_ needed you alive."

I swallowed. "What if Kobi had raped me? Wh-what would you have done then?"

Seria gasped.

"Excuse me?" Explosivo too seemed totally taken aback by my question.

"You heard me. What if Kobi had raped me, and I w-w-wanted to kill myself because of what he did? What would you have done then?"

"Tyler…" Seria whispered breathily.

"No, I'm serious." I dismissed. "In another Dimension, I know for a _fact_ that that's what happened, only _that_ Tyler didn't have a version of _you_ breathing down his neck. He had love and support from Spirits who actually _cared_ about his wellbeing." I said, my thoughts turning to Fizdis.

"I _do_ care about you-"

" _Do_? No. No you don't." I said bluntly. " _Did_? Maybe, but only because you needed me alive, right?" I asked. Explosivo hesitated. "Answer my _fucking_ question…!" I pressed.

"I never wanted any harm to come to you."

"Right, well, um, harm _did_ come to me. So…" I trailed off. Explosivo didn't say anything more, so I sighed. "Fine. Okay." I relented. "Look, I get it. I know that y-you were between a rock and a hard place. You did what you thought you had to do at the time 'cause you couldn't see any other way of things working out. You had a job to do, I get it. You wanted to atone. Whatever. I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat if it meant rescuing Luna and saving Her Majesty. And hey, if I hadn't have gone to the Satellite, I wouldn't have met Yusei, Jack, Crow, Kalin and Zena. But… this whole thing… could have been avoided with just… better communication." I closed my eyes, admitting "That's something I have to work on too."

"Tyler, I-"

I once again cut Explosivo off, and hoped that he would actually _listen_ to what I was telling him. "I'm not angry with you… I don't _hate_ you… but understand… that I _can't_ forgive you…"

"I understand."

I exhaled. "So… what do you say we just… l-l-l-l-leave it at that…?"

"If that's what you want." He repeated.

"It is." I offered my hand to him. Explosivo looked down at my hand, then back up to me and nodded, shaking my hand. Once he let go of my hand, I removed his card from my Duel Disk, Explosivo's Spirit remaining.

"Oh…! Is that all then…?" Explosivo asked softly, sounding surprised.

"It is." I repeated.

"Well then… I wish you the best." Explosivo bowed, his Spirit slowly fading away.

I sighed, closing my eyes. I felt like my heart was going to explode. "Seria, I'm going to go have a lie down." I said aloud.

"Um… _Tyler_ …?" Seria nudged me.

I opened my eyes, catching Luna's gaze. "Luna…!" I gasped. "Luna, sweetie, I'm _so_ sorry…!" I'd gotten so caught up mentally and emotionally in my confrontation with Explosivo, I had honestly, _truthfully_ , forgotten that Luna was even there, and I hated myself for it.

"I shouldn't have come…" she whispered, shaking her head. "I-I-I-I should go…!" she said quickly.

"No, L-L-L-Luna, please stay!" I begged.

Seria quickly grabbed Luna's hand. "Please…" she whispered. "Stay…"

Luna exhaled shakily, pulling her hand from Seria's as she walked toward me.

I sighed with relief. "Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Oh, _God_ , _thank you_!"

"What do you expect me to say?" Luna asked. "Okay, so… you're the real Tyler… _what_ the _Hell_?"

" _Luna_!" Seria sounded even more surprised than I was that Luna swore, even mildly.

"Do you have any idea what that was like?"

"Luna, I-"

"I'm not done talking." Luna said firmly, cutting me off as tears started to run down her face. "What I had to go through… all of it… You going off with Yusei, Bruno and Sherry to the Momentum Express Development Organization, and only Yusei and Bruno coming back? Yusei giving me Explosivo and telling me… telling… _tell_ …" Luna whimpered, out of breath, "telling me that the last thing you said to him was that you _loved_ me? Do you know what that did to me? I cried for _weeks_. I took time off school, I stopped helping Team 5D's with the WRGP. I couldn't focus on anything. All I could think about was…"

I cringed. _That_ all seemed like it happened so long ago, but it really was where everything changed for _us_. My issues with Explosivo, Kobi and Joel had _nothing_ to do with Luna, but I'd been so focused on that that I neglected her, and that's where I'd screwed things up for us.

"And then Sherry…" Luna continued. "When the sky cracked, and the Ark Cradle appeared. And she said that you and her were with Zone, working with him to destroy New Domino City. I couldn't believe it. I didn't _want_ to believe it. I wanted you to be _alive_ , but… I couldn't imagine you'd do anything to hurt me or destroy the City, my _home_."

"Luna-"

"I thought you _died_!" Luna shouted. "And then I find out, not only that you're alive, but that you wanted to destroy New Domino City. Have you got any idea~ what that did to me~?" Luna's voice was cracking, tears continuing to stream down her face. "How the Hell do you think I'm supposed to take that?! I _loved_ you! I thought 'There's no way he'd do this! There's no way!', but then I saw you there, on the Ark Cradle…" Luna paused, almost struggling with the next word, " _dressed_ in those clothes, I thought 'how could you do something like this?' 'How could the person I love want to destroy the very thing he vowed to help me save?'… and then Akiza said that you got your memories back, and how all you wanted now was revenge on Joel." Luna looked away, "It was just… looking at you, it's like you were a completely different person. I hated you. I honestly _hated_ you." Luna swallowed, taking a few shallow breaths. "But my heart didn't. When we went in, to the Support Gear with the others, and I saw Zone for the first time, he… he looked like you. He was wearing… what you wore on our first date. I didn't know why he looked like you, but then he said that he showed us what our hearts wanted to see. And it was you. The old you. Watching you talk to each other, just how different you both seemed, like there were two different sides to you. It was like a nightmare. And then…" Luna paused, "Zone killed you, and I… I actually thought… ' _Good_ …'"

"Luna…" I whispered, pained to hear that. I felt like I was suffocating.

"Akiza started to cry, and Yusei and Jack looked like they were about to explode. Even _Joel_ seemed upset… and I couldn't understand any of it. Yusei then challenged Zone to a Duel, wanting to avenge you and Bruno, and save New Domino City… and I gave Yusei the Ancient Fairy Dragon to use in the Duel, but I still couldn't really understand. I couldn't even focus on the Duel, I just found myself staring at your body the whole time. And then I heard Yusei ask Zone that if he won the Duel, he would bring both you and Bruno back to life. But Zone said that he would only restore one life… and Yusei chose you…"

My tear-stained eyes went wide. I had no idea that Yusei had to choose between Bruno and me. "I-I-I-I had no idea-"

"Of _course_ you didn't! You ran off as soon as we made it back to New Domino!" Luna snapped. "But then… Sherry and Akiza told me everything… everything that you went through with Joel and his dad, and how whatever it was that Zone did to you in returning your memories made them all jumbled up, and… I realized that, while I couldn't condone your behavior on the Ark Cradle, in spite of it all, you were still you. I wanted to apologize and let you know that I would be there for you if you needed me, but you were gone. A few days later I bumped into Seria and she told me that you were now living with her, so I thought that maybe you needed some time to think things through, but months passed and I hadn't heard anything from you, so it became clear that you didn't want to talk to me, or be in a relationship with me or anything-"

" _That's_ what you think?" I asked her, my voice breaking again.

"Yeah! _It is_! I don't hear from you for six months and then I get a _letter_ from you! I thought that was it, that that was you ending it! I-I didn't realize it was a _suicide note_ until Seria called me and told me how you stormed out of here. The two of us organized a search for you, but all we found were your shoes at the shoreline of the Satellite. I thought… _we_ thought…" Luna shook her head. "And you come back now, a-and you just expect things to go back to how they were-"

"No." I shook my head quickly. "I know we can't go back. That's not what this is. I just needed you to know that I'm sorry. You don't have to forgive me; I don't _want_ you to forgive me-"

"I was _ready_ to forgive you! Sherry told me what you'd said to her on the Ark Cradle, about everything you'd been through with your stepfather and stepbrother. It doesn't excuse what you did, but I understood _why_ you did it. But… but you just _left_ , and that was it. I thought you needed time, but you never called me, you never messaged me. I… I… h-how am I _supposed_ to feel?" Luna heaved.

"I'm sorry you had to go through all of that." I told her. "I'm not going to try and justify what I did, 'cause I know what I did was wrong, but… w-w-w-what would you have had me do? If I'd declined Zone's offer to join him – a God of Destruction – do you think he'd have just let me go? Let me come back to New Domino City? He killed me on the Ark Cradle when we confronted him, remember? He could have done that to me at any point if I'd said I wasn't going to help him. And it was n-never about him and what he wanted anyway. I wanted _you_ _safe_. I bargained with him; I tried my best. I just wanted Joel gone and you safe~" I croaked. "That's all I want~" my voice broke for the final time, "all I wanted~" and I couldn't talk anymore.

"Well… where do we go from here then?" Luna asked, the two of us visibly distraught. The look on her face was killing me, but I wholeheartedly deserved it. And even still, she looked beautiful, even like that.

"I think," Seria spoke up, her voice a little shaky too, "Tyler put it best before when he said better communication is what's needed. He said… he said to me before that if he'd known you were waiting to hear from him, he would have called you straight away. I tried to push him into calling you, but he didn't know why, and I should have told him. He thought you hated him, but you don't _hate_ him, do you, Luna?"

Luna shivered. "No… no, of _course_ not. Maybe for _one_ moment on the Ark Cradle, but…" she trailed off.

"And _Tyler_ ," Seria turned to me. "You still love Luna _very much_ , don't you?" she asked.

"Of _course_ I do~!" I whined. "Luna, I've… I've m-m-missed you…" I whispered. "I've missed your eyes, your voice, your _smile_. You've got a really good smile, and I _hate_ that I had a part in making you lose that."

Luna exhaled shakily, and I felt her breath whip at my face. "My smile…?" she asked softly.

I nodded. "Wh-when I used to… p-p-p-pick you up after school, I'd see you outside the front of Duel Academy, l-l-looking out for my Duel Runner, and every time you saw me, you'd get this great big smile on your face, and my heart would skip a beat. Whenever you'd smile at me, Luna, I'd feel like the luckiest person in the world. And I knew that, being with you, I _was_."

I watched Luna's face fill with color, but I wasn't quite sure what else to say or do, so I just stood there, shaking, trying to stop my diaphragm from spasming.

" _Aww_ ~" Seria cooed.

"Luna…! If I could go back, I'd do a lot of things differently. I… I should have never given Explosivo to you. I-I mean, what kind of… what kind of person does that? Gives their reason for attempting suicide to… to the person that means the most to them…?" I swallowed. "And then… w-when you were sick after what happened with Sly, I should have come in and looked after you, not just… send you inside with the promise of a d-d-d-date the next day. I should have told you I was taking medication when I first met up with you again. I should have called you…" I whispered. "Luna, I… I've literally thought about you every single day. I'm not even kidding. That's probably not something I should be telling you, but it's the truth. You weren't the only reason that I wanted, _had_ to come home, but you were _damn_ sure the _main_ reason!" I exhaled. "Luna, I wanted… I _had_ to see you again…"

"Well~" Luna's voice broke. "Here I am~"

"Here you are…" I whispered. And even though I'd said it out loud, part of me still couldn't believe it. It might have sounded a little bit cliché, but _honestly_ , I thought I'd never see her again.

But there she was, standing right in front of me.

The one I love, the one I left behind.

We just stood there staring at each other, both of us I'm sure not quite knowing what else to say or do. _I_ sure as Hell didn't. It was only when Seria nudged me, and mouthed the word "ring," to me in silence that I even _remembered_ Luna's present.

I made a sudden, erratic move to the countertop, grabbing the carry bag as I continued to sniffle and hyperventilate. I'm sure Seria thought we looked ridiculous. I could feel the stains of tears on my face, and Luna's face looked similarly tear-stricken.

"I, um… I got you a present…" I said weakly, offering the bag to Luna.

"Present…?" Luna mumbled.

I nodded perhaps a bit too enthusiastically. " _Please_ take it…!" I insisted. "I w-w-w-w-wanted t-t-to get you s-s-something to say 'I'm sorry'."

"Go on…" Seria urged her softly.

Luna nodded, taking the bag from me and opening it up. "What's…" she trailed off, taking the ring box out of the bag.

"Open it…" I whispered.

Luna set the carry bag aside, opened the ring box and gasped.

I couldn't tell if she liked it or hated it. And her hands were shaking so much that I thought she might drop it.

Then she started crying even more, and I felt like shit even more.

I closed my eyes. She hated it. I messed up. I shouldn't have gotten her a ring, I should have gotten her something else, like a fountain pen, or card, or something _simple_. Like how I'd gotten Akiza a book! Not a fucking _ring_!

That building, swirling mess of negative emotions inside me suddenly came crashing down.

As did I. Almost.

I very well nearly fell to the floor, my entire body freezing up as I felt Luna's lips crash into mine.

I opened my eyes in shock, and Seria gasped, covering her mouth with her hands.

My body made sounds involuntarily, and I could taste the remnants of Luna's tears on my lips. But in spite of that, and the sadness, uncertainty and doubt that came before, there was an almost wholesome warmth.

I flinched as I felt Luna's hands come to my shoulders, gently pressing as though to urge me down to her level, myself realizing only then that she was probably standing right up on her toes to kiss me. I gave in, crouching down just a little to allow Luna to better rest her feet on the ground, our lips staying together as she moved her hands to cup my face.

It might have just been my brain and the state I was in at the time, but the kiss was unlike anything I'd ever felt before. All the visions I'd had over the years, the experience of getting high in the forest with Joel, the feeling of traveling through Dimensions with Tim in that boat, all of those feelings paled in comparison to the euphoria I felt from Luna's lips touching mine. It was a feeling that I never wanted to end.

And for that moment, at least, it didn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Righto, so that brings us up to date with my back-catalogue on AO3. I hope you've enjoyed the story/ies so far. Please feel free to send me any feedback you wish, as I'll be updating my stories across both AO3 and FFN from this point. Thanks 😊


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